Prognostic value of pretreatment anemia in patients with soft tissue sarcoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Anemia is one of the most common manifestations in patients with cancer. Recently, multiple studies have shown a positive correlation between pretreatment anemia and tumor prognosis. Yet, the relationship between pretreatment anemia and the prognosis of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is unclear. METHODS: We searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies were included according to the inclusion criteria to assess the relationship between pretreatment anemia and the prognosis of patients with STS. Prognostic significance was determined by studying hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 12 studies are included. If there is significant heterogeneity, a random-effects model is used. Pooled data indicated that pretreatment anemia is related to poor overall survival (HR = 2.13; 95%CI = 1.52–2.98), disease-specific survival (HR = 1.53; 95%CI = 1.20–1.96), and disease-free survival (HR = 1.55; 95%CI = 1.10–2.17). The results of the subgroup analysis also support this conclusion. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that pretreatment anemia may be a prognostic biomarker for STS.