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Review
. 2024 Nov 4;16(21):3714.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16213714.

The Prognostic Value of the 31-Gene Expression Profile Test in Cutaneous Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ryan A Durgham  1 , Sami I Nassar  1 , Ramazan Gun  2 , Shaun A Nguyen  1 , Ameya A Asarkar  2 , Cherie-Ann O Nathan  2
Affiliations
Review

The Prognostic Value of the 31-Gene Expression Profile Test in Cutaneous Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ryan A Durgham et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous melanoma is an increasingly common and potentially lethal form of skin cancer. Current staging systems based on clinical and pathological features have limitations in accurately predicting outcomes, particularly for early-stage disease. The 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) test has emerged as a promising tool for improving risk stratification in melanoma patients.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the prognostic performance of the 31-GEP test in cutaneous melanoma. A comprehensive literature search was performed in multiple databases. Studies reporting survival outcomes stratified by 31-GEP class were included. Random-effects models were used to determine survival estimates across studies.

Results: Thirteen studies comprising 14,760 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The 31-GEP test consistently stratified patients into risk groups with significantly different outcomes. The 5-year melanoma-specific survival rates were 99.8% (95% CI: 98-100%) for Class 1A, 97.6% (95% CI: 92.4-99.3%) for Class 1B/2A, and 83.4% (95% CI: 66.5-92.7%) for Class 2B. Similar trends were observed for recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival.

Conclusions: This meta-analysis supports the prognostic utility of the 31-GEP test in cutaneous melanoma prognostication. The test consistently stratified patients into clinically meaningful risk groups across multiple survival metrics. These findings support the potential clinical utility of the 31-GEP test in enhancing current staging systems and informing personalized management strategies for melanoma patients.

Keywords: cutaneous melanoma; gene expression profiling; meta-analysis; personalized medicine; prognostic biomarker; risk stratification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Diagram showing included studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overall risk of bias assessment.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Illustrative funnel plot assessing for publication bias in location (extremity) among all included patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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