Objective: To explore the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in one of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), cancer susceptibility candidate 8 (CASC8 ) gene and the risk of cancer.
Materials and methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the relationship between common SNPs (rs10505477 and rs7837328) in the lncRNA CASC8  gene and the risk of cancer. The relevant references were retrieved from several authoritative databases. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were adopted to ensure the credibility of the results. The fixed effects or random effects model was used to calculate the OR and 95% CI. We tested for publication bias.
Results: Fifteen articles containing 20 datasets (24,504 cases and 22,969 controls) were finally included in the meta-analysis. Compared to the individuals carrying the rs10505477 TT genotype, those with the TC or CC genotype had a decreased risk of cancer (TC vs TT: OR 0.876, 95% CI 0.832–0.923, P <0.001; CC vs TT: OR 0.748, 95% CI 0.703–0.795, P <0.001). Allele C of rs10505477 might be a protective factor for decreasing susceptibility to cancer (OR 0.866, 95% CI 0.840–0.893, P <0.001). As for rs7837328, the GA and AA genotypes were associated with increased risks of cancer as compared to the GG genotype (ORs 1.209 and 1.336; 95% CIs 1.127–1.298 and 1.202–1.484, respectively); its A allele could significantly increase the risk of cancer compared with the G allele (OR 1.169, 95% CI 1.114–1.227, P <0.001).
Conclusion: The rs10505477 and rs7837328 polymorphisms might be associated with risk of cancer.
Keywords: lncRNA, CASC8, single-nucleotide polymorphism, cancer, meta-analysis