The clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of FGFR1 gene amplification in non-small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

FGFR1 amplification is recognized as a novel therapy target for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the association between FGFR1 amplification and the clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of 17 eligible studies to examine the correlation between FGFR1 gene amplification and clinicopathological characteristics. FGFR1 amplification was closely related to these clinicopathological features, including sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50–2.80), smoking (OR 3.31, 95% CI 2.02–5.44), and histology (OR 3.60, 95% CI 2.82–4.59). FGFR1 amplification was associated with shorter overall survival, and no significant heterogeneity existed between studies (I(2)=3.8%). We should note that publication bias may partly account for these results, but our findings remained significant after the trim-and-fill method (hazard ratio 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.40). However, no significant correlation was found with poor disease-free survival (hazard ratio 1.43, 95% CI 0.96–2.12). In conclusion, this study showed that FGFR1 amplification was significantly associated with sex, smoking, and histology. FGFR1 amplification could be a marker of poor prognosis in NSCLC patients, especially in SCC patients.