Indicated by mir-Tar-pathway analysis in ENCORI database, miR-338-3p could regulate 328 genes of KEGG pathways in cancer (log10 FDR: − 9.52602, log10 p value: − 11.79554), including MET, WNT3A, CTNNB1 (Catenin beta), MAP2K1 (MEK1), MAP2K2 (MEK2), MAPK1 (ERK2), MAPK3 (ERK1), MMP2, MMP9 and CDH1 (E-cadherin). Here, MMP2 is linked to cancer.