Forkhead Box q1 promotes invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer by activating the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an extremely malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Little is known about the mechanism by which forkhead Box q1 (FOXQ1) causes CRC invasion and metastasis through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway.

Aim: To illuminate the mechanism by which FOXQ1 promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC by activating the heparin binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF)/EGFR pathway.