-
Anticancer Research Oct 2023Low human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression (HER2-low: 1+/2+ by immunohistochemistry without HER2 amplification) is emerging as defining a specific breast... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND/AIM
Low human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression (HER2-low: 1+/2+ by immunohistochemistry without HER2 amplification) is emerging as defining a specific breast cancer (BC) subgroup owing to its distinct biological features. However, its prognostic role has not been confirmed in clinical practice. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the prognostic role of HER2-low status in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) early BC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for prospective or retrospective studies that reported data on overall (OS) or disease-free (DFS) survival for HER2-low compared to HER2-negative BC. Data were pooled using hazard ratios (HR) with confidence intervals (CI) for OS/DFS of HER2-low vs. HER2-negative subgroups according to the random-effects model. OS was the primary outcome measure, and DFS and pathological complete response were the secondary endpoints.
RESULTS
An analysis was made of 25 studies collected, including 34,965 patients with HER2-low BC. A HER2-low status was associated with an HR for OS of 0.83 (95% CI=0.76-0.9, p<0.0.01). Similarly, a pooled HR of 0.89 (95% CI=0.840.94, p<0.0.01) showed that patients with HER2-low BC had an increased DFS. Pathological complete response was significantly lower in HER2-low BC in 13 studies (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.58-0.91; p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Based on these data, HER2-low status should be identified as a potential prognostic factor in early stage ER+ BC. This should be taken into account when considering treatment in (neo)adjuvant settings, and it should be a potential stratification factor in future investigations.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Receptor, ErbB-2; Proportional Hazards Models; Disease-Free Survival
PubMed: 37772569
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.16625 -
JAMA Dermatology Oct 2023Growing research suggests that the prevalence of cutaneous immune-related adverse events (cirAEs) is associated with favorable outcomes among individuals with cancer who... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Growing research suggests that the prevalence of cutaneous immune-related adverse events (cirAEs) is associated with favorable outcomes among individuals with cancer who receive immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To identify whether the presence of cirAEs and their subtypes subsequent to ICI administration is associated with enhanced cancer prognosis.
DATA SOURCES
The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for publications examining the association between cirAE development during ICI treatment and subsequent cancer prognosis. The initial search was limited to English-language publications from database inception until December 31, 2022; a subsequent search was performed on May 21, 2023.
STUDY SELECTION
Two reviewers independently scrutinized the identical articles and included those that constituted original research evaluating the association between cirAE development and cancer prognosis.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
The search terms, study objectives, and methodological protocols were defined before study initiation. The aforementioned 2 reviewers performed data extraction independently and resolved discrepancies through agreement. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis and the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guidelines. The protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO. Data analyses were conducted between May 21 and June 1, 2023.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The major outcome end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Subgroup analyses were also conducted according to cirAE type, cancer type, geographic region, study design, and ICI type. Given the heterogeneity inherent in the included studies, a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model was adopted.
RESULTS
This systematic review and meta-analysis included 23 studies with a total of 22 749 patients treated with ICIs. The occurrence of cirAEs was associated with improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61 [95% CI, 0.52-0.72]; P < .001) and PFS (HR, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.41-0.65]; P < .001). Consistent results were observed across all subgroups stratified by study design, geographic region, ICI type, and cancer type, aligning with the overall estimate of OS and PFS improvement. However, no statistically significant differences were identified in terms of PFS within studies conducted in the US.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the presence of cirAEs and their subtypes was associated with improved prognosis for individuals with cancer undergoing ICI treatment. These findings suggest that cirAEs may have useful prognostic value in ICI treatment.
Topics: Humans; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Prognosis; Neoplasms; Progression-Free Survival; Proportional Hazards Models; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 37672255
DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.3003 -
BMJ Open Feb 2021Our study aimed to systematically review the methodological characteristics of studies that identified prognostic factors or developed or validated models for predicting...
OBJECTIVE
Our study aimed to systematically review the methodological characteristics of studies that identified prognostic factors or developed or validated models for predicting mortalities among patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD), which would inform future work.
DESIGN/SETTING
A methodological review of published studies.
METHODS
We searched PubMed and EMBASE from inception to June 2020 for studies about prognostic factors or prediction models on mortality among patients with AAD. Two reviewers independently collected the information about methodological characteristics. We also documented the information about the performance of the prognostic factors or prediction models.
RESULTS
Thirty-two studies were included, of which 18 evaluated the performance of prognostic factors, and 14 developed or validated prediction models. Of the 32 studies, 23 (72%) were single-centre studies, 22 (69%) used data from electronic medical records, 19 (59%) chose retrospective cohort study design, 26 (81%) did not report missing predictor data and 5 (16%) that reported missing predictor data used complete-case analysis. Among the 14 prediction model studies, only 3 (21%) had the event per variable over 20, and only 5 (36%) reported both discrimination and calibration statistics. Among model development studies, 3 (27%) did not report statistical methods, 3 (27%) exclusively used statistical significance threshold for selecting predictors and 7 (64%) did not report the methods for handling continuous predictors. Most prediction models were considered at high risk of bias. The performance of prognostic factors showed varying discrimination (AUC 0.58 to 0.95), and the performance of prediction models also varied substantially (AUC 0.49 to 0.91). Only six studies reported calibration statistic.
CONCLUSIONS
The methods used for prognostic studies on mortality among patients with AAD-including prediction models or prognostic factor studies-were suboptimal, and the model performance highly varied. Substantial efforts are warranted to improve the use of the methods in this population.
Topics: Aortic Dissection; Bias; Calibration; Humans; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 33550248
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042435 -
Urologic Oncology Oct 2021To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) as a prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) as a prognostic factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eligible studies that evaluated the prognostic impact of pretreatment PNI in RCC patients were identified by comprehensive searching the electronic databases PubMed, Cochrane Central Search library, and EMBASE. The end points were overall/cancer-specific survival (OS/CSS) and recurrence-free/disease-free survival (RFS/DFS). Meta-analysis using random-effects models was performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
In total, 9 retrospective, observational, case-control studies involving 5,976 patients were included for final analysis. Eight studies evaluated OS/CSS, and 5 evaluated RFS/DFS. Our results showed that lower PNI was significantly associated with unfavorable OS/CSS (HR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.44-1.96, P < 0.001, I = 9.2%, P = 0.359) and RFS/DFS (HR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.57-2.50, P < 0.001, I = 18.2%, P = 0.299) in patients with RCC. Subgroup and meta-regression analysis based on ethnicity, study sample size, presence of metastasis, PNI cut-off value, Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS) score, and gender ratio all showed that lower PNI was associated with poorer OS/CSS and RFS/DFS. Funnel plots and Egger's tests indicated significant publication bias in OS/CSS (P = 0.001), but not in RFS/DFS (P = 0.757).
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis indicated that lower PNI was a negative prognostic factor and associated with tumor progression and poorer survival of patients with RCC. Therefore, PNI could be a potential prognostic predictor of treatment outcomes for patients with RCC.
Topics: Carcinoma, Renal Cell; Female; Humans; Kidney Neoplasms; Male; Nutrition Assessment; Prognosis; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 34253447
DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2021.05.028 -
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Nov 2022Gynaecology cancers, including ovarian (OC), endometrial (EC), and cervical (CC), are prevalent with high mortality. Sarcopenia is found in 38.7% of cancer patients,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Gynaecology cancers, including ovarian (OC), endometrial (EC), and cervical (CC), are prevalent with high mortality. Sarcopenia is found in 38.7% of cancer patients, adversely affecting prognosis. Computed tomography (CT) is performed routinely in oncology, yet CT assessments of sarcopenia are not commonly used to measure prognosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic potential of pre-treatment sarcopenia assessments on overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) in gynaecology cancer.
METHODOLOGY
Four electronic databases were systematically searched from 2000 to May 2020 in English: Ovid Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL plus. Titles and abstracts were screened, eligible full-texts were reviewed, and data from included studies was extracted. Meta-analyses were conducted on homogenous survival data, heterogenous data were narratively reported.
RESULTS
The initial search yielded 767 results; 27 studies were included in the systematic review (n = 4286), all published between 2015 and 2020. Meta-analysis of unadjusted results revealed a negative effect of pre-treatment sarcopenia on OS in OC (HR: 1.40, 1.20-1.64, p < 0.0001) (n = 10), EC (HR: 1.42, 0.97-2.10, p = 0.07) (n = 4) and CC (HR: 1.10, 0.93-1.31, p = 0.28) (n = 5), and a negative effect on PFS in OC (HR: 1.28, 1.11-1.46, p = 0.0005) (n = 8), EC (HR: 1.51, 1.03-2.20, p = 0.03) (n = 2) and CC (HR: 1.14, 0.85-1.53, p = 0.37) (n = 2). Longitudinal analysis indicated negative effects of muscle loss on survival. Overall, there was a high risk of bias.
CONCLUSION
Pre-treatment sarcopenia negatively affected survival in gynaecology cancers. Incorporating such assessments into cancer management may be beneficial. Heterogeneity in sarcopenia assessments makes data interpretation challenging. Further research in prospective studies is required.
Topics: Humans; Sarcopenia; Prognosis; Gynecology; Neoplasms; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 35194194
DOI: 10.1038/s41430-022-01085-7 -
Human Reproduction (Oxford, England) Oct 2023Is spontaneous collapse (SC) by human blastocysts a prognostic factor in IVF treatment? (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
STUDY QUESTION
Is spontaneous collapse (SC) by human blastocysts a prognostic factor in IVF treatment?
SUMMARY ANSWER
SC in human blastocyst is associated with reduced euploid embryo and pregnancy rates.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
SC of the human blastocyst is a phenomenon that was revealed relatively recently following the clinical application of time-lapse monitoring in IVF laboratories. The ploidy and clinical prognosis of affected blastocysts are still poorly understood, with inconsistent reports. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses on this topic are currently absent in the literature but its potential as a marker of embryo viability holds great clinical value. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the potential of SC as a prognostic factor in regard to ploidy status, and pregnancy, live birth and miscarriage rates.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to PRISMA guidelines, with a protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022373749). A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for relevant studies was carried out on 10 October 2022, using key words relevant to 'blastocyst collapse' and 'time-lapse imaging'.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Two independent reviewers systematically screened and evaluated each study in terms of participants, exposure, comparator, and outcomes (PECO). The Quality In Prognosis Studies tool was used for quality assessment. Data were extracted according to Cochrane methods. Pregnancy, live birth, ploidy, or miscarriage data were summarized by risk ratios (RRs) or odds ratios and their 95% CIs. All meta-analyses were performed with random-effects models.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Following removal of duplicates, a total of 196 records were identified by the initial search. After screening according to PECO, 19 articles were included for further eligibility assessment. For meta-analysis, seven retrospective cohort studies were eventually included. After data pooling, the incidence of blastocyst SC was 37.0% (2516/6801) among seven studies (ranging from 17.4% to 56.2%). SC was associated with significantly lower clinical pregnancy rates (two studies, n = 736; RR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.62-0.95; I2 = 30%), ongoing pregnancy rates (five studies, n = 2503; RR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.53-0.83; I2 = 60%), and reduced euploidy rates (three studies, n = 3569; RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.59-0.83; I2 = 69%). Nevertheless, live birth rates (two studies, n = 816; RR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.55-1.04; I2 = 56%) and miscarriage rate (four studies, n = 1358; RR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.95-1.80; I2 = 0%) did not differ between blastocysts with or without SC. There was, however, significant heterogeneity between the studies included for evaluation of ongoing pregnancy rates (I2 = 60%, P = 0.04), live birth rates (I2 = 56%, P = 0.13), and ploidy rates (I2 = 69%, P = 0.04). Subgroup analyses were conducted according to different definitions of SC, number of collapse events, and whether the transferred blastocyst had undergone preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy; with inconclusive findings across subgroups.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
All studies in the meta-analysis were retrospective with varying levels of heterogeneity for different outcomes. Not all studies had accounted for potential confounding factors, therefore only unadjusted data could be used in the main meta-analysis. Studies employed slightly different strategies when defining blastocyst SC. Standardization in the definition for SC is needed to improve comparability between future studies.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Our results indicate that blastocyst SC has negative implications for a pregnancy. Such blastocysts should be given a low ranking when selecting from a cohort for intrauterine transfer. Blastocyst SC should be considered as a contributing variable when building blastocyst algorithms to predict pregnancy or live birth.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
There is no external funding to report. All authors report no conflict of interest.
REGISTRATION NUMBER
PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022373749.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Retrospective Studies; Abortion, Spontaneous; Prognosis; Pregnancy Rate; Live Birth; Blastocyst
PubMed: 37581900
DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead166 -
Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia May 2022Sarcopenia is considered to be a poor prognostic factor for several oncological diseases; however, some promising results for lymphoma are now available. The definition... (Review)
Review
Sarcopenia is considered to be a poor prognostic factor for several oncological diseases; however, some promising results for lymphoma are now available. The definition of sarcopenia is mainly based upon muscle strength, quantity or quality and physical performance, but some imaging tools (such as CT) have been introduced to estimate quantitatively the muscle areas as an indirect expression of sarcopenia. Our aim was to perform a systematic review on the prognostic role of "radiological" sarcopenia in lymphoma. A comprehensive online search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library databases was conducted up to June 2021 to find relevant articles on the prognostic role of sarcopenia in lymphoma measured by CT. In total, 25 articles with a total of 4454 patients were included. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was the most common lymphoma variant studied, followed by Hodgkin lymphoma. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) was defined as the parameter to distinguish between sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic lymphoma on CT scans and was usually measured at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. In the literature, different thresholds are used to define sarcopenia, related to the features of patients included in the studies. Despite this heterogeneity, in most cases, sarcopenia was demonstrated to be significantly correlated with OS and PFS. Sarcopenia measurement with CT (high dose or low dose) is a safe, accurate and precise method.
Topics: Humans; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Muscle, Skeletal; Prognosis; Sarcopenia; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 34893457
DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2021.11.006 -
ESMO Open Jun 2023In hormone receptor-positive (HoR+) breast cancer (BC), gene expression analysis identifies luminal A (LumA), luminal B (LumB), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
In hormone receptor-positive (HoR+) breast cancer (BC), gene expression analysis identifies luminal A (LumA), luminal B (LumB), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched (HER2-E), basal-like (BL) intrinsic subtypes and a normal-like group. This classification has an established prognostic value in early-stage HoR+ BC. Here, we carried out a trial-level meta-analysis to determine the prognostic ability of subtypes in metastatic BC (MBC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We systematically reviewed all the available prospective phase II/III trials in HoR+ MBC where subtype was assessed. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS)/time to progression (TTP) of the LumA subtype compared to non-LumA. Secondary endpoints were PFS/TTP of each individual subtype, according to treatment, menopausal and HER2 status and overall survival (OS). The random-effect model was applied, and heterogeneity assessed through Cochran's Q and I. Threshold for significance was set at P < 0.05. The study was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021255769).
RESULTS
Seven studies were included (2536 patients). Non-LumA represented 55.2% and was associated with worse PFS/TTP than LumA [hazard ratio (HR) 1.77, P < 0.001, I = 61%], independently of clinical HER2 status [P (P) = 0.16], systemic treatment (P = 0.96) and menopausal status (P = 0.12). Non-LumA tumors also showed worse OS (HR 2.00, P < 0.001, I = 65%), with significantly different outcomes for LumB (PFS/TTP HR 1.46; OS HR 1.41), HER2-E (PFS/TTP HR 2.39; OS HR 2.08) and BL (PFS/TTP HR 2.67; OS HR 3.26), separately (PFS/TTP P = 0.01; OS P = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses supported the main result. No publication bias was observed.
CONCLUSIONS
In HoR+ MBC, non-LumA disease is associated with poorer PFS/TTP and OS than LumA, independently of HER2, treatment and menopausal status. Future trials in HoR+ MBC should consider this clinically relevant biological classification.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Antineoplastic Agents; Proportional Hazards Models
PubMed: 37075698
DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101214 -
World Journal of Surgical Oncology Mar 2023The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is a comprehensive assessment indicator that can reflect inflammation and nutrition conditions. However, there are some... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is a comprehensive assessment indicator that can reflect inflammation and nutrition conditions. However, there are some controversies about whether ALI is an independent prognostic factor for gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing surgical resection. Thus, we aimed to clarify its prognostic value and explore the potential mechanisms.
METHODS
Four databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI were used for searching eligible studies from inception to June 28, 2022. All gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), esophageal cancer (EC), liver cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic cancer were enrolled for analysis. We focused on prognosis most in the current meta-analysis. Survival indicators, including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cancer-special survival (CSS) were compared between the high ALI group and the low ALI group. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was submitted as a supplementary document.
RESULTS
We finally included fourteen studies involving 5091 patients in this meta-analysis. After pooling the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), ALI was found to be an independent prognostic factor for both OS (HR = 2.09, I = 92%, 95% CI = 1.53 to 2.85, P < 0.01), DFS (HR = 1.48, I = 83%, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.87, P < 0.01), and CSS (HR = 1.28, I = 1%, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.60, P = 0.03) in gastrointestinal cancer. After subgroup analysis, we found that ALI was still closely related to OS for CRC (HR = 2.26, I = 93%, 95% CI = 1.53 to 3.32, P < 0.01) and GC (HR = 1.51, I = 40%, 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.04, P = 0.006) patients. As for DFS, ALI also has a predictive value on the prognosis of CRC (HR = 1.54, I = 85%, 95% CI = 1.14 to 2.07, P = 0.005) and GC (HR = 1.37, I = 0%, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.73, P = 0.007) patients.
CONCLUSION
ALI affected gastrointestinal cancer patients in terms of OS, DFS, and CSS. Meanwhile, ALI was a prognostic factor both for CRC and GC patients after subgroup analysis. Patients with low ALI had poorer prognoses. We recommended that surgeons should perform aggressive interventions in patients with low ALI before the operation.
Topics: Humans; Prognosis; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Stomach Neoplasms; Inflammation; Lung Neoplasms; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic
PubMed: 36879283
DOI: 10.1186/s12957-023-02972-4 -
Hand Therapy Dec 2022The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence regarding prognostic factors for persistent pain, including Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), after... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence regarding prognostic factors for persistent pain, including Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), after a distal radius fracture (DRF), a common condition after which persistent pain can develop.
METHODS
Medline, Pubmed, Embase, Psychinfo, CINAHL, BNI, AMED and the Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials were searched from inception to May 2021 for prospective longitudinal prognostic factor studies investigating persistent pain in adults who had sustained a DRF. The Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework were used to assess the strength of evidence.
RESULTS
A search yielded 440 studies of which 7 studies met full eligibility criteria. From five studies we found low evidence for high baseline pain or an ulnar styloid fracture as prognostic factors for persistent pain, and very low evidence for diabetes or older age. From two studies, investigating an outcome of CRPS, there was low evidence for high baseline pain, slow reaction time, dysynchiria, swelling and catastrophising as prognostic factors, and very low evidence for depression. Sex was found not to be a prognostic factor for CRPS or persistent pain.
CONCLUSIONS
The associations between prognostic factors and persistent pain following a DRF are unclear. The small number of factors investigated in more than one study, along with poor reporting and methodological limitations contributed to an assessment of low to very low strength of evidence. Further prospective studies, investigating psychosocial factors as candidate predictors of multidimensional pain outcomes are recommended.
PubMed: 37904895
DOI: 10.1177/17589983221124973