The value of microRNA-203 as a biomarker for the prognosis of esophageal cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that microRNA-203 has an effect on the prognosis of with esophageal cancer (EC). However, the conclusion is remains controversial. Therefore, this study will try to explore the effect of high expression of microRNA-203 on the prognosis of EC patients. METHODS: Eligible studies were searched from Google Scholar, Embase, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Scientific Journal Database, Chinese BioMedical Database and Wanfang Database. Papers in English or Chinese published from their inception to November 2020 will be included without any restrictions. Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used for data analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the prognostic effect of microRNA-203 on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Methodological quality for each eligible trial will be assessed by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality evidence-based medical evidence of the correlations between microRNA-203 expression and OS and DFS. CONCLUSION: The findings of this meta-analysis will show the effect of high expression of microRNA-203 on the prognosis of EC patients, and may find a new prognostic marker for EC. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020110022.