ECM1 and cancer: A number of current studies have shown that ECM1 could promote tumor cell proliferation and invasion in malignant tumors, including digestive system (Wang et al., 2003; Chen et al., 2011; Xiong et al., 2012), respiratory system (Wang et al., 2003), breast cancer, and melanoma (Lal et al., 2009; Lal et al., 2013; Steinhaeuser et al., 2020).