Association between lactate dehydrogenase levels and oncologic outcomes in metastatic prostate cancer: A meta‐analysis

PURPOSE: Previous studies have provided evidence of the high expression of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in multiple solid tumors; however, its prognostic relationship with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) remains controversial. We performed a meta‐analysis to better understand the prognostic potential of LDH in mPCa. METHODS: In our investigation, we included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library as web‐based resources, as well as studies published before January 2020 on the predictive value of LDH in mPCa. We independently screened the studies according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of the literature, extracted the data, and used RevMan 5.3 and STATA12.0 software for analysis. RESULT: From the 38 published studies, the records of 9813 patients with mPCa were included in this meta‐analysis. We observed that higher levels of LDH in patients with mPCa were significantly associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.91‐2.47, P < .00001) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.20‐2.13, P = .001). The subgroup analyses indicated that the negative prognostic impact of higher levels of LDH on the oncologic outcomes of mPCa was significant regardless of ethnicity, publication year, sample size, analysis type, treatment type, age, and disease state. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggested the association between a higher level of LDH and poorer OS and PFS in patients with mPCa. As a parameter that can be conveniently evaluated, the LDH levels should be included as a valuable biomarker in the management of mPCa.