Deciphering age-specific molecular features in cervical cancer and constructing an angio-immune prognostic model

Abstract

Cancer incidence is increasingly seen in younger individuals. Molecular distinctions between young and elderly patients at onset are understudied. This study used public databases to explore genomic, transcriptomic, and immune-related features across age groups in cervical cancer. Additionally, it aims to create a prognostic model applicable across diverse age cohorts, enabling precise patient stratification, and personalized therapies. Gene mutations, expression data, and clinicopathological information were obtained from 317 cervical cancer patients. These patients were divided into a young group and an old group based on the median age of onset. The characteristics of differential gene mutation, gene expression, and immune cells analysis were analyzed by R software. Finally, the prognostic model was constructed by univariate Cox, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariate Cox regression analyses of angiogenic and immune gene sets. Its validity was further confirmed using an additional 300 cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma tissues. Cervical cancer patients at elderly onset age exhibit a significantly higher frequency of NOTCH1 and TP53 driver mutations compared to young patients, along with a notably higher tumor mutational burden. However, there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of genomic instability and age-related mutational signatures. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that the young group significantly upregulated interferon-alpha and gamma responses and exhibited significantly higher activity in multiple metabolic pathways. Immune microenvironment analysis indicated enrichment of dendritic cells and natural killer cells in the young group, while transforming growth factor-β signature was enriched in the elderly group, indicating a higher degree of immune exclusion. A multigene prognostic model based on angiogenesis and T cell immune gene sets showed excellent prognostic performance independent of clinical factors such as age. High-risk groups identified by the model exhibit significant activation of tumor-promoting processes, such as metastasis and angiogenesis. Our study reveals distinct patterns in cancer-driving mechanisms, biological processes, and immune system status between young and elderly patients at onset with cervical cancer. These findings shed light on the age-specific underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, an independent molecular prognostic model is constructed to provide valuable references for patient stratification and the development of potential drug targets.