APEX1 and lung cancer: Lung cancer cells can express apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE1) [7], which is a vital protective gene that shields cells from oxidative stress- and hypoxia-induced apoptosis and necrosis, and this gene has the dual functions of DNA damage repair and oxidation-reduction, which maximally reduce cell damage by regulating the adaptability of organisms to oxidative stress and hypoxia [8].