Meta-analysis of the prognostic significance of FOXC2 in various tumors

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have focused on correlations between forkhead box protein C2 (FOXC2) and various tumors but discrepant results have been reported. Thus, we conducted this meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of FOXC2 in tumors. METHODS: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and SinoMed) were screened through September 2019. RESULTS: The final analysis included 15 reports and 2115 patients; results suggested that cancer patients with FOXC2 had worse overall survival (hazard ratio 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.74–2.64), cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio 2.65, 95% CI 1.44–4.89), and disease-free survival (hazard ratio 1.93, 95% CI 1.49–2.50) than patients lacking FOXC2. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of FOXC2 was associated with poor survival in cancer patients. FOXC2 could be a promising prognostic marker in the future.