LncRNA MALAT1 overexpression is an unfavorable prognostic factor in human cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested to serve as an important role in tumor development and progression. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) and cancer patients' overall survival. We systematically and carefully searched the studies from electronic databases and seriously identified according to eligibility criteria. The correlation between lncRNA MALAT1 expression and overall survival in human cancers was evaluated through Review Manager. A total of 8 studies which included 792 cancer patients were included in the final analysis. Meta-analysis showed that lncRNA MALAT1 overexpression was correlated with a poor overall survival and the pooled hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.94 (95% CI 1.59-2.38). From subgroup analyses, we present evidence that lncRNA MALAT1 overexpression was an unfavorable prognostic factor for patients' overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, the pooled HRs (95% CI) were 1.86 (95% CI 1.27-2.73) and 1.78 (95% CI 1.30-2.44), respectively. In conclusion, lncRNA MALAT1 is a potential prognostic factor in human cancers.