Overexpression of FOXM1 as a target for malignant progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common types of malignancies globally. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) has important functions in cancer progression. However, the function of FOXM1 signaling in ESCC remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression level and function of FOXM1 in human ESCC. The present study first detected the FOXM1 expression level in 78 cases of primary ESCC tissues and matched normal tissue samples by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, the present study investigated the impact of FOXM1 knockdown on the ability of cell proliferation and migration of ESCC cells by MTT, clonogenic and Transwell assays. The results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of FOXM1 were upregulated in a series of ESCC tissue samples. Silencing of FOXM1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells. In conclusion, FOXM1 was significantly increased in cancerous tissue samples of patients with ESCC. It may serve as a selective target for the treatment of ESCC.