Mechanistic investigations in oncological contexts reveal lncRNAs orchestrate cellular radiation responses through metabolic network crosstalk, with urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) constituting a prototypical regulator that augments radiosensitivity in cervical carcinoma models through targeted suppression of hexokinase 2 (HK2), the pivotal glycolytic gatekeeper enzyme [25]. The gene discussed is HK2; the disease is cervical carcinoma.