BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In recent years, research on the relationship between papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been burgeoning. However, there has not been an analysis of the regulatory mechanisms of these lncRNAs in all tumors, nor a comprehensive categorization and comparison of these mechanisms. This review aims to uncover whether PTC-related lncRNAs also play an important role in other tumors and to identify a common pattern of action. METHODS: We conducted a statistical analysis of lncRNAs related to PTC that have been reported during the period from Jan 2022 to May 2024 through searching in the Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases, focusing on those with greater research value. Using them as the focal points of our study, we compiled data on their different regulatory mechanisms across various malignant tumors, emphasizing key findings. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS: This comprehensive analysis not only provides valuable insights into potential regulatory mechanisms of these lncRNAs in PTC but also serves as a reference for exploring their broader regulatory networks within cancer. The principal discovery is that lncRNAs associated with PTC can competitively interact with microRNAs (miRNAs). This interaction influences miRNA-targeted messenger RNA (mRNA) and the expression of cancer-related proteins, ultimately facilitating the progression of PTC as well as other malignant tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The lncRNAs associated with PTC exert regulatory functions in other malignancies as well and possess similar regulatory mechanisms. This provides a molecular basis for the future development of relevant targeted therapies.