These findings are supported by those of studies from other laboratories showing that MALAT1 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues; MALAT1 expression levels are positively correlated with clinical stages, lymph node metastases and distant metastases; and MALAT1 expression is an unfavourable prognostic factor in patients with pancreatic cancer41, 42. This evidence concerns the gene MALAT1 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.