Expression of NUMB Protein and Its Prognostic Significance in Endometrial Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background and objectives Endometrial cancer, the most prevalent gynecologic malignancy in developed countries, poses a major public health concern. NUMB, a multifunctional protein, has been implicated in the tumorigenesis of endometrial cancer. The goal of this study was to investigate the association of NUMB protein expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed on 41 patients with endometrial cancer who were divided into three groups according to the expression level of NUMB protein using immunohistochemistry: NUMB 1 (mild), NUMB 2 (moderate), and NUMB 3 (significant). Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-squared test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards model, and regression analyses, were used to assess the relationship between NUMB expression and survival as well as various clinicopathological parameters. Results Significant NUMB expression (NUMB 3) was found to be correlated with more aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, including higher tumor grade (p = 0.039), larger tumor size (p = 0.016), and elevated recurrence rate (p = 0.033). Patients with NUMB 3 expression also exhibited significantly poorer overall survival (p = 0.003) and had a 10-fold higher mortality risk compared to those with mild NUMB expression (HR: 9.67, p = 0.034) during the 10-year follow-up period. Conclusion This study demonstrates that significant NUMB protein expression is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognostic outcomes in endometrial cancer. NUMB may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for this disease. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise role of NUMB in endometrial carcinogenesis and its therapeutic implications.