The association between diabetes/hyperglycemia and the prognosis of cervical cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The predictive roles of diabetes in the prognosis of many types of cancer have been well studied, but its role in predicting the prognosis of cervical cancer is still controversial. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between diabetes/hyperglycemia and the prognosis of cervical cancer. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review for peer-reviewed studies indexed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Wanfang published before December 2016. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review identified 13 studies with a total of 11,091 cervical cancer patients, of which 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The study indicated that diabetes was related to poorer overall survival (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.35–1.87, P < .001) and poorer recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.47–2.66, P < .001) in cervical cancer patients. The meta-analysis of adjusted HRs also indicated that diabetes was independently associated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.38–2.05, P < .001) and poor recurrence-free survival (HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.47–2.66, P < .001) in cervical cancer patients. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analyses showed similar results. No significant heterogeneity was observed for the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis suggests that diabetes is an important predictive factor for cervical cancer prognosis, and it is linked to poorer survival of cervical cancer patients. Diabetes can serve as a useful index in the prognostic evaluation for patients with cervical cancer.