Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editors' attention by a concerned reader that certain of the data panels showing results from flow cytometric experiments in Figs. 2D, 4D and 5D, and tumor images shown in Fig. 7A, were strikingly similar to data that had appeared in different form in other articles by different authors. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere, or were already under consideration for publication, prior to its submission to International Journal of Oncology, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Oncology54: 2211‑2221, 2019; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4765].
Keywords: AKT serine/threonine kinase; brain metastasis; fibroblast growth factor receptor 1; mammalian target of rapamycin; miR‑802; non‑small cell lung cancer; phosphoinositide 3‑kinase.