Lymph node ratio is an independent prognostic factor for rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy: A meta-analysis

Effect of neoadjuvant therapy regimens on lymph nodes yield in rectal cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Pathological nodal staging is relevant to postoperative decision-making and a prognostic marker of cancer survival. This study aimed to assess the effect of different total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) regimens on lymph node status following total mesorectal excision (TME) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of patients treated for node-positive clinical stage 3 LARC with TNT between January 2015 and August 2022. Patients were stratified into induction therapy and consolidation therapy groups. Variables collated included patient demographics, clinical and radiological characteristics of the tumor, and pathology of the resected specimen. Primary outcome was total harvested lymph nodes.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven patients were included (57 [58.8%] males; mean age of 58.5 ± 11.4 years). The induction therapy group included 85 (87.6%) patients while 12 (12.4%) patients received consolidation therapy. A median interquartile range value of 22.00 (5.00-72.00) harvested lymph nodes was recorded for the induction therapy group in comparison to 16.00 (16.00-47.00) in the consolidation therapy arm (p = 0.487). Overall pathological complete response rate was 34%.

CONCLUSION

Total harvested nodes from resected specimens were marginally lower in the consolidation therapy group. Induction therapy may be preferrable to optimize postoperative specimen staging.

INFLUENCE OF NEOADJUVANT THERAPY ON THE RATIO OF LYMPH NODES

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the relationship between the ratio of affected lymph nodes (LNR) and clinical and anatomopathological variables in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma submitted or not to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

The LNR was determined by dividing the number of compromised LNR by the total number of LNR dissected in the surgical specimen. Patients were divided into two groups: with QRT and without QRT. In each group, the relationship between LNR and the following variables was evaluated: degree of cell differentiation, depth of invasion in the rectal wall, angiolymphatic /perineural invasion, degree of tumor regression and occurrence of metastases. The LNR was evaluated in patients with more than 1, LNR (LNR >12) or less (LNR<12) in the surgical specimen with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The results were expressed as the mean with the respective standard deviation. Qualitative variables were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, while quantitative variables were analyzed using the Kruskal -Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The significance level was 5%.

RESULTS

We evaluated 282 patients with QRT and 114 without QRT, between 1995-2011. In the QRT Group, LNR showed a significant association with mucinous tumors (P=0.007) and degree of tumor regression (P=0.003). In both groups, LNR was associated with poorly differentiated tumors (P=0.001, P=0.02), presence of angiolymphatic invasion (P<0.0001 and P=0.01), perineural (P=0.0007, P=0.02), degree of rectal wall invasion (T3>T2; P<0.0001, P=0.02); Compromised LNR (P<0.0001, P<0.01), metastases (P<0.0001, P<0.01). In patients with QRT, LNR<12 was associated with DFS (5.889; 95%CI1.935-19.687; P=0.018) and LNR>12 with DFS and OS (17.984; 95%CI5.931-54.351; P<0.001 and 10.286; 95%CI 2.654-39.854; P=0.007, respectively).

CONCLUSION

LNR was associated with histological aspects of poor prognosis, regardless of the use of QRT. In the occurrence of less than 12 evaluated LNR, the LNR was associated only with the DFS.

BACKGROUND

• Assessment of the lymph nodes during pathological analysis of the surgical specimen is crucial to determine treatment and prognosis.

BACKGROUND

• Neoadjuvance therapy reduces the number of lymph nodes, being lower than recommended, therefore the lymph node ratio can be an alternative analysis for a better prognosis.

A retrospective study analyzing if lymph node ratio carbon nanoparticles predict stage III rectal cancer recurrence

Background

Lymph node ratio has garnered increasing attention as a prognostic marker for rectal cancer; however, few studies have investigated the relationship between lymph node ratio and rectal cancer recurrence. Additionally, Carbon Nanoparticle tracking is a safe and effective strategy for locating tumors and tracking lymph nodes. However, no studies have reported the relationship between Carbon Nanoparticles and rectal cancer recurrence.

Methods

Patients with stage III rectal cancer who underwent radical resection between January 2016 and 2020 were analyzed. The primary outcome was tumor recurrence. 269 patients with stage III rectal cancer were included in this study. The effects of lymph node ratio, Carbon Nanoparticles, and other clinicopathological factors on rectal cancer recurrence were assessed using univariate, multivariate analyses and the t-test.

Results

Univariate analysis determined tumor recurrence using cytokeratin 19 fragment, CA-199, CEA, N-stage, positive lymph nodes, total lymph nodes, and lymph node ratio(positive/total); with the lymph node ratio being the most relevant. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined lymph node ratio =0.38 as the optimal cutoff value. The analysis of lymph node ratio ≥0.38 and <0.38 showed statistical differences in three indicators: tumor recurrence, CEA, and use of Carbon Nanoparticles.

Conclusion

Lymph node ratio is a strong predictor of stage III rectal cancer recurrence and may be considered for inclusion in future tumor-node-metastasis staging and stage III rectal cancer stratification. In addition, we found that Carbon Nanoparticles use significantly increased total lymph nodes and decreased lymph node ratio.

Lymph node metastasis in cancer progression: molecular mechanisms, clinical significance and therapeutic interventions

Lymph nodes (LNs) are important hubs for metastatic cell arrest and growth, immune modulation, and secondary dissemination to distant sites through a series of mechanisms, and it has been proved that lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an essential prognostic indicator in many different types of cancer. Therefore, it is important for oncologists to understand the mechanisms of tumor cells to metastasize to LNs, as well as how LNM affects the prognosis and therapy of patients with cancer in order to provide patients with accurate disease assessment and effective treatment strategies. In recent years, with the updates in both basic and clinical studies on LNM and the application of advanced medical technologies, much progress has been made in the understanding of the mechanisms of LNM and the strategies for diagnosis and treatment of LNM. In this review, current knowledge of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of LNs, as well as the molecular mechanisms of LNM, are described. The clinical significance of LNM in different anatomical sites is summarized, including the roles of LNM playing in staging, prognostic prediction, and treatment selection for patients with various types of cancers. And the novel exploration and academic disputes of strategies for recognition, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions of metastatic LNs are also discussed.

The Recurrent Atypical e8a2 BCR::ABL1 Transcript with Insertion of an Inverted 55 Base Pair ABL1 Intron 1b Sequence: A Detailed Molecular Analysis

Atypical BCR::ABL1 transcripts are found in approximately 2% of cases of chronic myeloid leukemia. It is important to detect them since affected patients also benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. In the rare e8a2 atypical BCR::ABL1 transcript, two out-of-frame exons are fused, thus, interposed nucleotides are usually found at the fusion site to restore the reading frame. In approximately half of previously reported e8a2 BCR::ABL1 cases, an inserted 55 bp sequence homologous to an inverted sequence from ABL1 intron 1b was detected. The generation of this recurrent transcript variant is not obvious. This work describes the molecular analysis of such an e8a2 BCR::ABL1 translocation from a CML patient. The genomic chromosomal breakpoint is identified, and the formation of this transcript is theoretically explained. The clinical course of the patient is reported, and recommendations are provided for the molecular analysis of future e8a2 BCR::ABL1 cases.

Prognostic value of lymphovascular space invasion in stage IA to IIB cervical cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is a prognostic factor in the existing TNM classification system. The present meta-analysis assessed the role of LVSI in predicting the prognosis of stage IA to IIB cervical cancer (CC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched to determine relevant articles published in the English language. Our search deadline was May 2022. Critical Appraisal of Prognostic Studies was used to assess the quality for each article. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were used to evaluate the performance of LVSI in prognosis prediction.

RESULTS

We enrolled 8 studies involving 25,352 patients published after 2010. Thus, high LVSI was an unfavorable factor in predicting overall survival (HR, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.63-2.66; P = .006) and disease-free survival (HR, 2.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.79-2.70; P = .000) for patients with CC. However, the disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly different on univariate analysis based on the subgroup analysis stratified by analysis method, but no obvious heterogeneity was found across diverse articles.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that LVSI predicts the poor prognostic outcome of stage IA to IIB CC. However, well-designed clinical articles should further assess the independent prognosis prediction performance of LVSI in CC.

The prognostic role of lymph node ratio in breast cancer patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A dose-response meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

As neoadjuvant chemotherapy is widely used in breast cancer patients, the lymph node ratio has not been fully validated as a prognostic indicator of breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio in breast cancer patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

Systematic searches were performed in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases until 15 December 2021 for studies on the association between lymph node ratio and the prognosis of breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Overall survival and disease-free survival were used as outcome events, and hazard ratio was chosen as the parameter to evaluate the correlation. The dose-response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic splines. In the subgroup analyses, which were used to explore potential heterogeneity among the included studies according to study region and sample size. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the stability of individual studies, and publication bias was determined with funnel plots, Begg's test, and Egger&apos;s test. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata 15.1.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies with 4,864 patients were included in this meta-analysis. In this study, high lymph node ratio was significantly associated with decreased overall survival (HR: 4.74; 95%CI: 3.36-6.67; P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR: 4.77; 95%CI: 3.69-6.17; P < 0.001). Moreover, the dose-response meta-analysis showed a linear association between higher lymph node ratio and shorter overall survival and disease-free survival in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The meta-analysis suggested that high lymph node ratio was significantly associated with short overall survival and disease-free survival in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore, lymph node ratio is an independent predictive factor for the prognosis of breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which may better refine the cancer staging system.

Prognostic value of lymph node ratio in cervical cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The role of the lymph node ratio (LNR) in the existing tumor node metastasis classification system should be verified as one of the prognosis prediction factors. This work evaluated LNR's performance in predicting cervical cancer (CC) prognosis through a meta-analysis.

METHOD

Related studies were retrieved from the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases. The language was restricted to English. The combined hazard ratios (HRs) were utilized to analyze the prognostic value of LNR.

RESULTS

Our study included 8 articles with 3325 subjects published after 2015. Based on our analysis, high LNR was the adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (OS, HR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.23-1.73; P = .238) and disease-free survival (DFS, HR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.98-3.66; P = .597) among the CC cases. Furthermore, as revealed by subgroup analysis, in CC patients, median LNR of about 0.0625 and 0.066 served as the prominent risk factor for DFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

The current work illustrates that elevated LNR is related to the dismal prognosis of CC. More well-designed clinical studies are warranted for assessing whether LNR is a factor independently predicting the prognosis of CC.

Lymph node regression grading of locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total rectal mesenteric excision are the main standards of treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Lymph node regression grade (LRG) is an indicator of prognosis and response to preoperative nCRT based on postsurgical metastatic lymph node pathology. Common histopathological findings in metastatic lymph nodes after nCRT include necrosis, hemorrhage, nodular fibrosis, foamy histiocytes, cystic cell reactions, areas of hyalinosis, residual cancer cells, and pools of mucin. A number of LRG systems designed to classify the amount of lymph node regression after nCRT is mainly concerned with the relationship between residual cancer cells and regressive fibrosis and with estimating the number of lymph nodes existing with residual cancer cells. LRG offers significant prognostic information, and in most cases, LRG after nCRT correlates with patient outcomes. In this review, we describe the systematic classification of LRG after nCRT, patient prognosis, the correlation with tumor regression grade, and the typical histopathological findings of lymph nodes. This work may serve as a reference to help predict the clinical complete response and determine lymph node regression in patients based on preservation strategies, allowing for the formulation of more accurate treatment strategies for LARC patients, which has important clinical significance and scientific value.

Biomarkers and cell-based models to predict the outcome of neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer patients

Rectal cancer constitutes approximately one-third of all colorectal cancers and contributes to considerable mortality globally. In contrast to colon cancer, the standard treatment for localized rectal cancer often involves neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Tumour response rates to treatment show substantial inter-patient heterogeneity, indicating a need for treatment stratification. Consequently researchers have attempted to establish new means for predicting tumour response in order to assist in treatment decisions. In this review we have summarized published findings regarding potential biomarkers to predict neoadjuvant treatment response for rectal cancer tumours. In addition, we describe cell-based models that can be utilized both for treatment prediction and for studying the complex mechanisms involved.

Competing-risks nomogram for predicting cancer-specific death in upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a population-based analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to use a competing-risks model to establish a nomogram to accurately analyse the prognostic factors for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) cancer-specific death (CSD).

DESIGN

Retrospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

The programme has yielded a database of all patients with cancer in 18 defined geographical regions of the USA.

PARTICIPANTS

We selected patients with UTUC from the latest edition of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1975 to 2016. After excluding patients with unknown histological grade, tumour size and lymph node status, 2576 patients were finally selected.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We used the Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazards model for multivariate analysis and compared the results with cause-specific hazards model. We finally constructed a nomogram for 3-year, 5-year and 8-year CSD rates and tested these rates in a validation cohort.

RESULTS

The proportional subdistribution hazards model showed that sex, tumour size, distant metastasis, surgery status, number of lymph nodes positive (LNP) and lymph nodes ratio (LNR) were independent prognostic factors for CSD. All significant factors associated with CSD were included in the nomogram. The 3-year, 5-year and 8-year concordance indexes were 0.719, 0.702 and 0.692 in the training cohort and 0.701, 0.675 and 0.668 in the validation cohort, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The competing-risks model showed that sex, tumour size, distant metastasis, surgery status, LNP and LNR were associated with CSD. The nomogram predicts the probability of CSD in patients with UTUC at 3, 5 and 8 years, which may help clinicians in predicting survival probabilities in individual patients.

Nomograms for Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Patients Based on the Eighth AJCC Staging and Competing Risks Model

Background

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients have a long survival period and good prognosis, so they are easily affected by competing risk events. The purpose of this study was to use the competing risks model to identify prognostic factors for cause-specific death (CSD) and death due to other causes (DOC) in patients with DTC.

Methods

Our screening process identified 34 585 DTC patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and randomly divided them into a training cohort and a validation cohort. We used the Fine and Gray subdistribution hazards model to establish the CSD and DOC nomograms. The distinguishing ability and consistency of the nomograms were evaluated using the consistency indexes and calibration plots.

Results

Our analysis of a competing risks model revealed that pathological grade, tumor size, histological type, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)-8 stage, surgery status, adjuvant radiotherapy status, adjuvant chemotherapy status, and log odds of positive lymph nodes are prognostic factors for CSD, and age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, sex, pathological grade, tumor size, AJCC-8 stage, surgery status, adjuvant radiotherapy status, and lymph node ratio are prognostic factors for DOC. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year concordance indexes in the validation cohorts were 0.942, 0.931, and 0.913 for the CSD nomogram and 0.813, 0.746, and 0.776 for the DOC nomogram. The calibration plots showed good consistency in both nomograms.

Conclusions

Our nomograms can be used as a tool to help clinicians individually predict the probability of CSD and DOC in DTC patients at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, which has certain guiding value in clinical applications.

Nomograms for Estimating Cause-Specific Death Rates of Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Competing-Risks Analysis

Purpose:

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, aggressive and special subtype of primary breast cancer. We aimed to establish competing-risks nomograms to predict the IBC-specific death (BCSD) and other-cause-specific death (OCSD) of IBC patients.

Methods:

We extracted data on primary IBC patients from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database by applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Cumulative incidence function (CIF) was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rates and Gray’s test was used to evaluate the difference between groups. Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazard method was applied to identify the independent predictors. We then established nomograms to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative incidence rates of BCSD and OCSD based on the results. The calibration curves and concordance index (C-index) were adopted to validate the nomograms.

Results:

We enrolled 1699 eligible IBC patients eventually. In general, the 1-, 3-, and 5-years cumulative incidence rates of BCSD were 15.3%, 41.0%, and 50.7%, respectively, while those of OCSD were 3.0%, 5.1%, and 7.4%. The following 9 variables were independent predictive factors for BCSD: race, lymph node ratio (LNR), AJCC M stage, histological grade, ER (estrogen receptor) status, PR (progesterone receptor) status, HER-2 (human epidermal growth factor-like receptor 2) status, surgery status, and radiotherapy status. Meanwhile, age, ER, PR and chemotherapy status could predict OCSD independently. These factors were integrated for the construction of the competing-risks nomograms. The results of calibration curves and C-indexes indicated the nomograms had good performance.

Conclusions:

Based on the SEER database, we established the first competing-risks nomograms to predict BCSD and OCSD of IBC patients. The good performance indicated that they could be incorporated in clinical practice to provide references for clinicians to make individualized treatment strategies.

Developing and validating a novel nomogram used a competing-risks model for predicting the prognosis of primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a retrospective study based on the SEER database

Background

The current prognostic methods for primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) are inadequate. This study is the first to use a competing-risks model to perform an accurate analysis of the prognostic factors for PFTC cause-specific death (CSD). We used the model to established a nomogram for the 3-, 5-, and 8-year CSD rates based on the identified prognostic factors.

Methods

This study selected 1,924 patients from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database. The cumulative incidence function (CIF) was used in univariate analyses, and Gray’s test was used to determine the intergroup difference in the CIF. We then used the subdistribution proportional hazards model in a multivariate analysis. We finally used the prognostic factors identified in the analysis of the competing-risks model to construct a 3-, 5-, and 8-year CSD nomogram for PFTC patients. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots were used to evaluate the discrimination ability and consistency of the model.

Results

The subdistribution proportional hazards model showed that age, histological type, FIGO stage, and the log of the ratio between the numbers of positive and negative lymph nodes (LODDS) were independent prognostic factors for CSD. The 3-, 5-, and 8-year C-indexes were 0.744, 0.744, and 0.733 in the training cohort, and 0.737, 0.748, and 0.721 in the validation cohort. In the calibration plots, the forecast lines were very close to the reference lines.

Conclusions

This study is the first to analyze the prognostic factors for PFTC based on a competing-risks model. This model indicates that age, histological type, FIGO stage, and LODDS are significant prognostic factors affecting CSD in PFTC patients. We have also constructed the first 3-, 5-, and 8-year CSD nomogram for PFTC patients. This nomogram exhibits good discrimination ability and accuracy and can help clinicians to provide individualized prognostic analysis for PFTC patients.

Pretreatment Albumin-to-Fibrinogen Ratio Independently Predicts Chemotherapy Response and Prognosis in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Undergoing Total Mesorectal Excision After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy

Background

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery of total mesorectal excision (TME) is currently accepted as the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to investigate the potential prognostic factors, including the albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) for LARC patients.

Methods

We retrospectively recruited LARC patients (cT3-4 and/or cN1-2) who underwent nCRT followed by TME between January 2011 and January 2015. The cut-off value of pretreatment AFR for overall survival (OS) was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The potential predictive factors for prognosis in the LARC patients were assessed by the univariate and multivariate Cox’s proportional hazard regression and Kaplan–Meier curve analyses.

Results

AFR was a significant predictor for OS with a cut-off value of 8.65 and an AUC of 0.882 (P<0.001). The pretreatment AFR level was the only independent risk factor for pathologic response to nCRT (HR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.43–4.17, P=0.003), 5-year OS (HR: 3.31, 95% CI: 1.51–6.77, P=0.005) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.34–5.47, P=0.007) in LARC patients. A low pretreatment AFR level was significantly associated with a poor 5-year OS and DFS by the Log rank test (P=0.003 and 0.006, respectively).

Conclusion

Pretreatment AFR level was an independent prognostic factor in LARC patients undergoing TME after nCRT.

The prognostic impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on lymph node sampling in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer, at least 12 lymph nodes are required to accurately stage locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) reduces the number of lymph nodes retrieved during surgery. In this study, we evaluated the effect of NACRT on lymph node retrieval and prognosis in patients with LARC. We performed an observational study of 142 patients with LARC. Although our analysis was retrospective, data were collected prospectively. Half the patients were treated with NACRT and total mesorectal excision (TME) and the other half underwent TME only. The number of lymph nodes retrieved and the number of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly reduced in the NACRT group (P > 0.001). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, only NACRT and patient age were significantly associated with reduced lymph node retrieval. The number of metastatic lymph nodes and the lymph node ratio (LNR) both had a significant effect on prognosis when the patient population was examined as a whole (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001, respectively). However, the LNR was the only significant, independent prognostic factor in both treatment groups (P = 0.007 for the NACRT group; P = 0.04 for the no-NACRT group). NACRT improves patient prognosis only when the number of metastatic lymph nodes is reduced. The number of metastatic lymph nodes and the LNR are important prognostic factors. Lymph node retrieval remains an indispensable tool for staging and prognostic assessment of patients with rectal carcinoma treated with NACRT.

The 100 Top-Cited Systematic Reviews/Meta-Analyses on Diabetic Research

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyze the 100 top-cited systematic reviews/meta-analyses on diabetic research.

METHODS

The Science Citation Index Expanded database was searched to identify top-cited studies on diabetic research up to March 4^th, 2020. Studies were analyzed using the following characteristics: citation number, publication year, country and institution of origin, authorship, topics, and journals.

RESULTS

The 100 top-cited diabetic systematic reviews/meta-analyses were published in 43 different journals, with Diabetes Care having the highest numbers (n = 17), followed by The Journal of the American Medical Association (n = 14) and Lancet (n = 9). The majority of studies are published in the 2000s. The number of citations ranged from 2197 to 301. The highest number of contributions was from the USA, followed by England and Australia. The leading institution was Harvard University. The hot topic was a risk factor (n = 33), followed by comorbidity (n = 27).

CONCLUSIONS

The 100 top-cited systematic reviews/meta-analyses on diabetic research identify impactful authors, journals, institutes, and countries. It will also provide the most important references to evidence-based medicine in diabetes and serve as a guide to the features of a citable paper in this field.

Prognostic role of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in oral cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been suggested to be associated with the progression of oral cancer with inconclusive results. The objective of the current study was to assess the prognostic role of oral cancer by meta-analysis.

METHOD

PubMed, EMbase(Ovid), CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, and CBM databases were searched up to August 24, 2018. Studies investigating the association between PLR and progression of oral cancer were included. Meta-analysis was performed by using Revman 5.3 software. The protocol of the study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018106836).

RESULTS

A total of five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that higher PLR was associated with the poor progress of oral cancer (overall survival: OR = 2.06, 95 CI: 1.49-2.86, P < 0.0001; disease-specific survival: OR = 2.12, 95 CI: 1.59-2.82, P < 0.00001).

CONCLUSION

The current meta-analysis showed that higher PLR is a poor progression factor for oral cancer. However, larger sample, multi-center studies should be carried out in the future to validate the above conclusion.