Volume 35, Issue 10 pp. 1507-1514
Clinical Review

Prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with head and neck cancer: A meta-analysis

Jian Zang MD

Jian Zang MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

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Chen Li MM

Chen Li MM

Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

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Li-Na Zhao MD

Li-Na Zhao MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

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Mei Shi MD

Corresponding Author

Mei Shi MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No.127, West ChangleRoad, Xi'an 710032, China. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Yong-Chun Zhou MD

Yong-Chun Zhou MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

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Jian-Hua Wang MD

Jian-Hua Wang MD

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

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Xin Li MM

Xin Li MM

Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China

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First published: 18 September 2012
Citations: 33

Abstract

Background

The correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression and the clinical outcome of head and neck cancer remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of VEGF in patients with head and neck cancer.

Methods

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE and 2 Chinese science databases in order to enroll all eligible articles. Forty-seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. All results were evaluated by the random-effects model.

Results

VEGF overexpression is significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS; hazard ratio [HR], 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.61–2.22) and progression-free survival (PFS; HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.33–2.12). Subgroup analysis reveals that VEGF overexpression is a significant poor predictor for nasopharyngeal cancer (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.30–2.12) and salivary gland cancer (HR, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.61–6.84).

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis supports that VEGF overexpression is an available poor predictor for patients with head and neck cancer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 35: 1507–1514, 2013

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