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Review
. 2017 Jul;96(29):e7600.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000007600.

Microvessel density as a prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Guangzhi Ma  1 , Jing Zhang, Hai Jiang, Nannan Zhang, Yunjie Zhu, Yunfu Deng, Qinghua Zhou
Affiliations
Review

Microvessel density as a prognostic factor in esophageal squamous cell cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Guangzhi Ma et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Jul.

Abstract

Background: To date, literature has emerged that shows contradictory results about the prognostic role of microvessel density (MVD) in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). The aim of the study set out to evaluate the correlation between MVD and the prognosis of ESCC.

Methods: Identified publications from various databases were obtained and reviewed. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic role of MVD among ESCC patients.

Results: A total of 11 eligible studies containing 891 ESCC cases were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio for overall survival was 2.39 (95% confidence interval 1.92-2.96, P < .001). Heterogeneity among the studies was not significant, and publication bias was not found. Subgroup analyses were also performed on different issues, such as districts, antibodies, and median age.

Conclusion: High MVD is a prognostic factor among ESCC that indicated worse prognosis in these patients. More studies are needed, and through abundant evidence, the topic could be re-evaluated by then.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The selection process for eligible studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for OS in ESCC patients (A) and Asian patients (B) with high intratumoral MVD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The Begg publication bias plots of the studies that reported the correlation between MVD and ESCC. The publication bias was insignificant (P = .213).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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