The association between IGF1 gene rs1520220 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis based on 12,884 cases and 58,304 controls

BACKGROUND: The rs1520220 polymorphism in the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) gene has been reported to affect cancer susceptibly in several studies. However, the results of the relevant studies are inconsistent. We conduct a current meta-analysis to investigate the association between rs1520220 and cancer susceptibly. METHODS: Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched for studies regarding the relationship between rs1520220 and cancer susceptibly. Odds ratios (ORs) and the related 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to assess the strength of the associations. A stratified analysis was performed according to cancer type, ethnicity, and quality score, and when results were obtained from no fewer than two studies, these results were pooled. RESULTS: There was no positive association between rs1520220 and overall cancer risk. However, the analysis stratified by ethnicity revealed that rs1520220 significantly increased cancer susceptibility in Asian populations (allele model OR = 1.10, 95%Cl = 1.00–1.21, p = 0.040; homozygote model OR = 1.22, 95%Cl = 1.01–1.47, p = 0.040; dominant model OR = 1.19, 95%Cl = 1.01–1.39, p = 0.033). No significantly association was detected in Caucasian populations. The analysis stratified by cancer type suggested that rs1520220 was not associated with susceptibility to breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our meta-analysis demonstrate that the role of IGF1 rs1520220 in cancer susceptibility varies by ethnicity and cancer type and that rs1520220 increases cancer susceptibility in Asian populations. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12199-018-0727-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.