Lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma with overexpressed HMOX1 was found to be linked to reduction of Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and CCND2, two proteins involved in cell cycle progression, as well as the activation of the transcription of Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (CDKN1C) and cell-cycle arrest proteins Gastrin (GAS). Here, CDKN1C is linked to pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma.