Fascin-1 is a cytoskeletal protein and it can specifically bind to F-actin, it can be abnormally expressed in a variety of solid tumors. Fascin-1 was identified as a factor for poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the relevant molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. In this study, the fascin-1 knockdown cells were produced by lentivirus infection, and then cell proliferation, invasion and cell migration assay were used to investigate the role of fascin-1 in NSCLC cells. The MAPK pathway related proteins were determined by western blot. In the current study, lentivirus-mediated fascin-1 knockdown significantly decreased the proliferation of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, fascin-1 silencing partly inhibited cell invasion and migration. Inhibition of fascin-1 decreased the activity of the MAPK pathway. Therefore, targeting fascin-1 may inhibit the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells, which is a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for treating NSCLC. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.