In gastric cancer, SPG20 might be suppressed by methylation and result in activation of cell proliferation by upregulated the EGFR/MAPK pathway.39 Xiang et al demonstrated that zinc‐finger protein 545 is silenced by promoter methylation and acted as an inhibiting factor in colorectal cancer through the Wnt/β‐catenin, PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways.40 In colorectal cancer, it was also found that aberrant DNA methylation of WNT pathway genes might regulate tumor progression.41 In BCa, this study initially screened the signaling pathways associated with MDGs. The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is gastric cancer.