Perivoliotis K, Samara AA, Koutoukoglou P, Ntellas P, Dadouli K, Sotiriou S, Ioannou M, Tepetes K. Microvessel density in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
World J Methodol 2022;
12:448-458. [PMID:
36186751 PMCID:
PMC9516550 DOI:
10.5662/wjm.v12.i5.448]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Microvessel density (MVD) has been proposed as a direct quantification method of tumor neovascularization. However, the current literature regarding the role of MVD in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) remains inconclusive.
AIM
To appraise the effect of tumoral MVD on the survival of patients with DTC.
METHODS
This meta-analysis was based on the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The electronic databases Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically screened. A fixed-effects or random-effects model was used, according to the Cochran Q test. The data were then extracted and assessed on the basis of the Reference Citation Analysis (https://www.referencecitationanalysis.com/).
RESULTS
A total of nine studies were included in the present study. Superiority of low MVD tumors in terms of 10-year disease free survival (OR: 0.21, 95%CI: 0.08–0.53) was recorded. Lowly vascularized thyroid cancers had a lower recurrence rate (OR: 13.66, 95%CI: 3.03–61.48). Moreover, relapsing tumors [weighed mean difference (WMD): 11.92, 95%CI: 6.32–17.52] or malignancies with regional lymph node involvement (WMD: 8.53, 95%CI: 0.04–17.02) presented with higher tumoral MVD values.
CONCLUSION
MVD significantly correlates with the survival outcomes of thyroid cancer patients. However, considering several study limitations, further prospective studies of higher methodological and quality level are required.
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