Construction and validation of m6A RNA methylation regulators associated prognostic model for gastrointestinal cancer

N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) RNA methylation is correlated with carcinogenesis and dynamically possessed through the m(6)A RNA methylation regulators. This paper aimed to explore 13 m(6)A RNA methylation regulators' role in gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) and determine the risk model and prognosis value of m(6)A RNA methylation regulators in GIC. We used several bioinformatics methods to identify the differential expression of m(6)A RNA methylation regulators in GIC, constructed a prognostic model, and carried out functional enrichment analysis. Eleven of 13 m(6)A RNA methylation regulators were differentially expressed in different clinicopathological characteristics of GIC, and m(6)A RNA methylation regulators were nearly associated with GIC. We constructed a risk model based on five m(6)A RNA methylation regulators (METTL3, FTO, YTHDF1, ZC3H13, and WTAP); the risk score is an independent prognosis biomarker. Moreover, the five m(6)A RNA methylation regulators can also forecast the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival through a nomogram. Furthermore, four hallmarks of oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and cholesterol homoeostasis gene sets were significantly enriched in GIC. m(6)A RNA methylation regulators were related to the malignant clinicopathological characteristics of GIC and may be used for prognostic stratification and development of therapeutic strategies.