Prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Various studies have assessed the prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but their results remain controversial. METHODS Studies published up to January 2013 were collected. A total of 16 studies involving 1179 patients were reviewed. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the prognostic role of EGFR in patients with NPC. The combined hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using fixed-effects or random-effects models. RESULTS EGFR overexpression had significantly poor effect on overall survival (OS; HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.25-2.77), disease-free survival (DFS; HR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.66-3.04) and locoregional control (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.71-5.02). However, the association between EGFR overexpression and distant metastasis-free survival was not statistically significant (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.72-2.67). CONCLUSION EGFR overexpression can be a prognostic factor for patients with NPC.