CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1), as an emerging transmembrane protein, is overexpressed in a variety of malignant tumors including respiratory tumors, digestive system cancers, hematological malignancies and urogenital cancers. Predominantly located on the cell surface, CDCP1 lies at the nexus of key tumorigenic and metastatic signaling cascades, including the SRC/PKCδ, PI3K/AKT, WNT, and RAS/ERK axes, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and fatty acid oxidation, making important functional contributions to cancer cell survival and growth, metastasis, and treatment resistance.