As shown in Fig. 3 and Table 2, EXTL3 was significantly associated with calcium pathway (NES = 2.511; nominal P < 0.001), chemokine pathway (NES = 2.284; nominal P < 0.001), ERBB pathway (NES = 2.303; nominal P < 0.001), JAK STAT pathway (NES = 2.281; nominal P < 0.001), MAPK pathway (NES = 2.335; nominal P < 0.001), WNT pathway (NES = 2.416; nominal P < 0.001), oxidative phosphorylation pathway (NES = − 2.251; nominal P < 0.001) in PCa. Here, EXTL3 is linked to posterior cortical atrophy.