Background:Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) threatens the body health of women worldwide. This study aimed to foster a new concept of prognostic indicator named cell death index (CDI).
Methods:RNA‐seq and scRNA‐seq datasets were downloaded from the GEO and TCGA database as the training and validation cohorts. Programmed cell death (PCD)‐related gene signatures were obtained from published research. The construction of prognostic model was performed based on CDI value. Patients with CSCC were divided into high‐ and low‐CDI groups. We explored the differences in overall survival time, immune infiltration, mutation status, and drug sensitivity between high and low CDI groups by R software.
Results:We constructed prognostic model to calculate the CDI value with 23 genes. Patients with high CDI have shorter survival time than those with low CDI. CDI was considered a risk factor compared to other characteristics. The nomogram model estimated overall survival (OS) at 1, 3, and 6 years, with age, Stage, and CDI, indicating the accuracy of the model in predicting 1‐, 3‐, and 6‐year survival rates. CDI values were negatively correlated with most immune checkpoint genes. We measured the significant drug sensitivity of Mitoxantrone, Sabutoclax, Sepantronium bromide, Topotecan, BI‐2536, and BMS‐754807 between high‐ and low‐CDI groups with significant correlation.
Conclusion:This investigation constructed a novel effective prognostic indicator of CDI in patients with CSCC and identified potential genes associated with cell death that could be targeted for prognosis and treatment of CSCC.