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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Jan;67(1):44-57.
doi: 10.1007/s12020-019-02117-2. Epub 2019 Oct 26.

Association between TERT promoter mutations and clinical behaviors in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Jing Yang  1 , Yanping Gong  2 , Shuping Yan  1 , Hui Chen  3 , Siqin Qin  4 , Rixiang Gong  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Association between TERT promoter mutations and clinical behaviors in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Jing Yang et al. Endocrine. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Background: The association between telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations and some clinical behaviors in thyroid cancer remains controversial and requires additional investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between TERT promoter mutations and clinical behaviors (including clinicopathological features and prognosis) in differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTC).

Methods: We performed an up-to-date systematic review and current comprehensive meta-analysis. We searched three electronic databases for relevant studies. We used fixed- or random-effect models to calculate pooled estimated odds ratios (ORs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: We included 51 eligible studies incorporating 11,382 cases. Average frequencies of TERT promoter mutations in DTC, papillary (PTC), and follicular (FTC) thyroid carcinomas were 10.9%, 10.6%, and 15.1%, respectively. In DTC and PTC, TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with sex, age, tumor size, vascular invasion, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node and distant metastases, advanced tumor, nodes, and metastasis (TNM) stage, persistence/recurrence, and disease-specific mortality. In FTC, TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with age, distant metastases, advanced TNM stage, persistence/recurrence, and disease-specific mortality.

Conclusions: TERT promoter mutations could be considered as biomarkers assisting in risk stratification, prognostic prediction, and individualizing therapeutic options for DTC (PTC and FTC).

Keywords: Clinical behaviors; DTC; FTC; PTC; TERT.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of section process. TERT, telomerase reverse transcriptase; DTC, differentiated thyroid carcinoma; PTC, papillary thyroid carcinoma; FTC: follicular thyroid carcinoma
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot showing the association of TERT promoter mutations with clinical parameters in DTC
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot showing the association of TERT promoter mutations with clinical parameters in DTC
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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