A risk scoring model for lung squamous cell carcinoma based on epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes: an integrative analysis of prognosis and immune infiltration characteristics

Background: Despite expanding therapeutic options, the prognosis of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains poor. Immune checkpoint inhibitors benefit only a subset of patients, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been implicated in invasion, metastasis, treatment resistance, and immune heterogeneity. Therefore, EMT-related biomarkers may offer improved risk stratification. Aim: To identify differentially expressed EMT-related genes (DEEMTGs) in LUSC, construct an EMT-based prognostic signature, and evaluate its associations with the tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and tissue-level expression patterns. Methods: = 8) provided orthogonal expression validation. Results: memory T cells and M0 macrophages. TMB differences were nonsignificant. IHC provided directional protein-level support while acknowledging transcript-protein variability. Conclusion: We developed a biologically interpretable EMT-based prognostic model that stratifies survival and reflects immune-microenvironment heterogeneity in LUSC. Larger, stage-balanced and immunotherapy-treated cohorts are needed to further validate its clinical utility.