In the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), PKP1 exhibits dual roles: cytoplasmic/nuclear localization promotes tumor progression via MYC translation and metabolic reprogramming, while membrane retention serves as a diagnostic marker for SCC subtyping (Martin-Padron et al., 2020; Boyero et al., 2022; Ritoré-Salazar et al., 2025; Gómez-Morales et al., 2013; Galindo et al., 2020). The gene discussed is MYC; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.