Prognostic value of tumor size in thymic epithelial tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Whether the size of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) has an impact on prognosis has long been a controversial issue. Our study was designed to investigate the value of tumor size in the prognosis (overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival) of patients with TETs. METHODS: We searched the databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and clinical trials registration system for articles illustrating the impact of tumor size on survival data in TETs patients. We did a meta-analysis for OS and relapse-free survival. RESULTS: We recruited 9 studies in our meta-analysis. Our study illustrates that TETs patients with small tumor size had better relapse-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.66, 95% confidence interval 1.18–2.35, P = .004) and OS (hazard ratio = 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.30–2.80, P = .001) in comparison to patients with large tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the results of our meta-analysis showed that TET size was significantly associated with overall and relapse-free survival of patients, with relatively small tumors tending to have a better prognosis.