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Lysyl oxidase‐like 2 (LOXL2) participates in the occurrence and development of digestive system cancers (DSCs). The aim of this study was to determine whether LOXL2 protein could serve as a prognostic biomarker in patients with DSCs. Relevant studies published before October 1, 2018 were identified from a comprehensive literature review in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. This meta‐analysis was conducted via STATA/SE 14.1 software. Finally, a total of 12 publications and 6 different kinds of DSCs were identified. Meta‐analysis indicated that increased expression of LOXL2 protein was significantly correlated with reduced overall survival (hazard ratios [HR]: 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32–1.72) and worse progression‐free survival/disease‐free survival (HR: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.48–2.83) in cases with DSCs. In addition, clinicopathological parameters, including tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and clinical stage were significantly related to LOXL2 protein expression in DSCs. High LOXL2 protein expression is significantly associated with worse clinical outcomes in DSCs and its expression level may represent a candidate prognostic biomarker in these cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digestive system cancer remains a common cancer and the main cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Drug resistance is a major challenge in the therapy of digestive system cancer, and represents a primary obstacle in the treatment of cancer by restricting the efficiency of both traditional chemotherapy and biological therapies. Existing studies indicate that noncoding RNAs play an important role in the evolution and progression of drug resistance in digestive system cancer, mainly by modulating drug transporter‐related proteins, DNA damage repair, cell‐cycle‐related proteins, cell apoptosis‐related proteins, drug target‐related proteins, and the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we address the potential mechanisms of ncRNAs underlying drug resistance in digestive system tumors and discuss the possible application of ncRNAs against drug resistance in digestive system tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]