Does reduced E-cadherin expression correlate with poor prognosis in patients with upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma? A systematic review and meta-analysis

초록

Background E-cadherin has emerged as a prognostic factor of urothelial cell carcinoma. In the present work we investigate the relationship between expression of E-cadherin and clinical outcomes, following radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify eligible studies published until July 2017. Result Six studies were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 1014 patients. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for recurrence-free survivor was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44–1.09, I2 = 63%, P = .04). Also, reduced E-cadherin was not significantly associated with poor cancer-specific survivor (pooled HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.66–1.43, I2 = 54%, P = .11). The pooled HR for overall survivor was not statistically significant (pooled HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.32–1.46, I2 = 80%, P = .007). The results of the Begg and Egger tests suggested that publication bias was not evident in this meta-analysis. Conclusions Reduced E-cadherin expression did not appear to be significantly associated with disease prognosis after nephroureterectomy in the meta-analysis. However, further high quality, prospective studies are warranted to better address this issue.

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