CASP4 and neoplasm: We found that NSCLC patients who had high levels of tumor-associated caspase-4 (> 377 pg/ml) and did not have any gene mutation (Mut−) (Fig. 3d, blue line) had lower survival rate (median survival = 0.95 years; % of survival rate at 1 year≈35%) (Fig. 3e, n = 53/74, 71.6%) than patients who had higher levels of tumor-associated caspase-4 and were Mut+ (survival at 1 year≈80%) (Fig. 3d, green line; Fig. 3e, n = 6/74, 8.1%).