ZFAS1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), ZFAS1 can shuttle between tumor cells in the form of exosomes and act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to downregulate miR-124, thereby upregulating STAT3 and ultimately inhibiting cellular apoptosis and promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion 142.