Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance 4 in human cancers: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Since long non-coding RNA breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance 4 (lncRNA BCAR4) is dysregulated in various types of cancers, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine its prognostic value in cancer. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE database, and CENTRAL were systematically searched. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were collected to estimate the prognostic value. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% CIs were used to assess the association between lncRNA BCAR4 expression and clinicopathological features, including tumor size, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and tumor stage. RESULTS: Ten studies with 890 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that high lncRNA BCAR4 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR 2.80, 95% CI: 2.08–3.78; P < .001). Overexpression of lncRNA BCAR4 was related to lymph node metastasis (OR 3.68, 95% CI: 2.25–6.00; P < .001), high tumor stage (OR 3.19, 95% CI: 1.98–5.13; P < .001), and distant metastasis (OR 3.83, 95% CI: 2.15–6.82; P < .001), but not to tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, lncRNA BCAR4 overexpression is associated with poor OS and advanced clinicopathological features, and lncRNA BCAR4 may be a novel prognostic biomarker in cancer patients. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings.