Previous studies have shown that the downregulation of PAX6 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells.39 In addition, PAX6 expression is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer.14,23 However, a previous study reported conflicting results, suggesting that PAX6 is a positive prognostic marker in NSCLC in node-positive patients.40 These differences could be attributed to a lack of sufficient data and clarity regarding the underlying mechanism of the role of PAX6 in this disease. Here, PAX6 is linked to lung cancer.