Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Nov;96(45):e8463.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008463.

Prognostic role of C-reactive protein in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A meta-analysis and literature review

Yi Fang  1 , Chang Xu, Peng Wu, Ling-Hao Zhang, Da-Wei Li, Jie-Hao Sun, Wen-Feng Li, Zhi-Su Liao
Affiliations
Review

Prognostic role of C-reactive protein in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A meta-analysis and literature review

Yi Fang et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be associated with several tumors. However, its association with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well characterized. We performed a literature review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic relevance of elevated CRP levels in patients with NPC.

Methods: A literature search for relevant studies was performed on PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated to assess the association between elevated CRP levels and survival outcomes.

Results: Five studies with a combined study population of 5215 patients with NPC were included. Pooled hazard ratios for overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival were 1.84 (95% CI = 1.57-2.17) and 1.81 (95% CI = 1.53-2.14), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that types of indicators and treatment before inclusion had no significant impact on the observed association.

Conclusion: Elevated serum CRP levels in patients with NPC were associated with worse prognosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic illustration of the literature search and study-selection criteria.
Figure 2
Figure 2
HRs for OS with high CRP. P values based on the Cochrane Q test for heterogeneity. CI = confidence interval, CRP = C-reactive protein, HR = hazard ratio, OS = overall survival.
Figure 3
Figure 3
HRs for DMFS with high CRP. P values based on the Cochrane Q test for heterogeneity. CI = confidence interval, CRP = C-reactive protein, DMFS = distant metastasis-free survival, HR = hazard ratio.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Begg funnel plots for publication bias testing (A) OS and (B) DMFS. DMFS = distant metastasis-free survival, OS = overall survival.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Wee J, Ha TC, Loong S, et al. Is nasopharyngeal cancer really a “Cantonese cancer”? Chin J Cancer 2010;29:517–26. - PubMed
    1. Chua MLK, Wee JTS, Hui EP, et al. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Lancet 2016;387:1012–24. - PubMed
    1. Lu H, Peng L, Yuan X, et al. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a treatment paradigm also applicable to patients in Southeast Asia. Cancer Treat Rev 2009;35:345–53. - PubMed
    1. Wolden SL, Chen WC, Pfister DG, et al. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for nasopharynx cancer: update of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering experience. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2006;64:57–62. - PubMed
    1. Gabay C, Kushner I. Acute-phase proteins and other systemic responses to inflammation. N Engl J Med 1999;340:448–54. - PubMed