Prognostic value of platelet-related measures for overall survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology 2021-08, Vol.164, p.103427-103427, Article 103427
• Main Authors: Ishibashi, Yusuke, Tsujimoto, Hironori, Sugasawa, Hidekazu, Kouzu, Keita, Itazaki, Yujiro, Sugihara, Takao, Harada, Manabu, Ito, Nozomi, Kishi, Yoji, Ueno, Hideki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Esophageal cancer; Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Mean platelet volume; Platelet; Prognostic factor
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103427

[Display omitted] •Platelet-related measures are recognized important in predicting long-term outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.•A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted from articles to evaluate the prognostic value of platelet-related measures.•High platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with poor overall survival.•Platelet count, platelet distribution width, and mean platelet volume were not independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Platelet-related measures are considered important in predicting long-term outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We performed a systematic electronic research of studies evaluating the prognostic value of platelet-related measures in ESCC in Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase. Then, to synthesize publications exploring the association between platelet-related measures and survival outcomes in ESCC, a meta-analysis was conducted using hazard ratio and 95 % confidence interval. In total, 14 retrospective articles were included in this study. Among them, 4 and 10 have evaluated the clinical impact of platelet count and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), respectively. Further, three studies reported about platelet distribution width (PDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV). Based on the synthesized results, high PLR was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS). However, platelet count, PDW, and MPV were non-independent prognostic factors for OS. The Begg’s funnel plots for PLR, PDW, and MPV indicated low publication bias.