GHRL and cancer: An overall count showed that 46 (75.4%) of the studies, including all 11 involving exogenous ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonist treatment, reported either a null (no statistically significant difference) or inverse association of ghrelin or ghrelin genetic variants with cancer risk, presence or growth; 9 (14.8%) studies reported positive associations; and 6 (9.8%), including 4 gene studies, reported both negative or null and positive associations (Tables 1 and 2).