After browsing the abstracts and full text, 5 studies on MTA1 and EC [7, 9–12], 3 studies on MTA and GC [13–15], 2 studies on MTA1 and CRC [16–17], 2 studies on MTA1 and liver cancer [18–19] and one study on MTA1 and pancreatic cancer [20] met the inclusion criteria, respectively (Fig 1). The gene discussed is MTA1; the disease is liver cancer.