| Abstract
Purpose In this study, we systematically investigated and analyzed articles focusing on the prognostic value of E-cadherin
(E-cad) in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
Methods Searching through the diferent databases, the studies examining the associations between E-cad and HNSCC
prognosis were identifed. Outcomes such as disease-specifc survival and overall survival were considered acceptable.
Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confdence interval (CI) was used to demonstrate prognostic value.
Results A total of 40 studies were systematically analyzed, and fnally, 1939 subjects were included in our meta-analysis.
Our fndings showed that signifcant aberrant expression of E-cad was associated with poor survival. However, some studies
showed increased expression of E-cad in metastatic lesions was associated with poor prognosis. Alteration in location of
E-cad expression also showed signifcant association with cancer survival, i.e., increased cytoplasmic E-cad. We conducted
a meta-analysis on the eligible articles using a random efect model because of moderate heterogeneity. Strong association
between aberrant expression of E-cad and poor survival was demonstrated (pooled HR=2.28; 95% CI 1.78–2.91).
Conclusions Aberrant expression of E-cad may be a promising prognostic signature for HNSCC, especially when it is used
with other prognostic markers. |