title: Epidermal growth factor receptor could play a prognostic role to predict the outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been reported to play a prognostic role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Nevertheless, the effect of EGFR predicting clinical outcomes is still controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Potentially eligible studies were retrieved using PubMed. Basic clinical characteristics of patients and statistical data were collected. Survival data can be got directly or could be calculated if it was available in other resources. Then, we used a meta-analysis model to review the correlation between over-expression of EGFR and survival outcome in NPC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  15 eligible studies and 1225 patients were yielded in our meta-analysis. The HRs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for OS and DFS/RFS/PFS were 2.11 [1.23, 3.60] and 2.17 [1.41, 3.35], respectively. Histological differentiation stage, race, different cut-off values and the percentage of TNM stage were divided for subgroup analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGFR could be a fine prognostic factor of NPC, which might be proven by further multicenter clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xuelei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Xie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Luqi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Medical School, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: EGFR; meta-analysis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; prognosis