Prognostic significance of the EGFR pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Biomark Med. 2015;9(10):997-1010. doi: 10.2217/bmm.15.68. Epub 2015 Oct 6.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic impact of the EGF receptor (EGFR) pathway molecules and assess their clinical usefulness.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review. Pubmed and EMBASE were searched January 2014. The prognostic relevance of EGFR, JAK, PI3K, PIK3CA, STAT3, STAT5, PTEN, AKT, mTOR, GRB2, SOS, RAF, RAS, MAPK, ERK, MEK and CCND1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma was assessed. The outcomes considered were overall survival, disease-free survival and tumor-node-metastasis stage. Twenty-two studies were included. Risk of bias was evaluated. Meta-analysis for which pooled hazard ratios and 95% CIs were calculated.

Conclusion: EGFR overexpression predicts a worse overall survival and disease-free survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but no specific causal pathway molecule could be identified.

Keywords: EGFR; cancer; epidermal growth factor receptor pathway; meta-analysis; nasopharyngeal cancer; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; outcome; prognosis; review; survival.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Signal Transduction*

Substances

  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors