Loss of MEG3 expression was observed in both the cancerous tissues and cancer cell lines. Although the absence of expression of MEG3 was not statistically correlated to either histological grade or TNM stage in the 25 cases, the prognosis was significantly worse. MEG3 knockdown enhanced cell proliferation, promoted cell migration and invasion, induced epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), increased the sphere-forming ability and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, and decreased the chemosensitivity to gemcitabine in-vitro. In contrast, forced expression of MEG3 resulted in a reverse effect.