Distinct Prognostic Values of BCL2 Anti-apoptotic Members in Lung Cancer: An In-Silico Analysis

Evasion of apoptosis is one of the major hallmarks of cancer and is known to play crucial role in cancer progression. In past decades BCL-2 protein family, also known as drivers and regulators of intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, have emerged as a new class of cancer drug targets. Herein the present study, we assessed BCL-2 anti-apoptotic members mRNA expression in lung cancer datasets through a web tool, “Kaplan-Meier plotter” (KM plotter), which is an online database harboring gene expression and survival data of breast, ovarian, lung, liver, and lung cancer patients. Also, we further analyzed prognostic role of mRNA expression of BCL-2 anti-apoptotic members in association with two clinical features, tumor histology and smoking history, in lung cancer. The results were represented in the form of Hazard ratios (HR), 95% Confidence Intervals (CI), and log-rank P values, and number-at-risk were also calculated and displayed along with survival curves. Statistical analysis indicated that BCL-2 family members mRNA expression patterns may play critical prognostic roles in lung cancer subtypes and established them as potential prognostic indicators for lung cancer.