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Background: Hematological parameters have been associated with prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The present meta‐analysis investigated the utility of neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prognosis of patients with NPC. Methods: Multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science, were systematically searched for studies assessing the association between NLR and NPC from 2011 to 2021. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to estimate effect size. Use of a fixed effect or random effect model was based on heterogeneity stability was tested by sensitivity analysis, and the risk of bias was assessed by funnel plots. Random effects models were used based on the actual results. Because the NLR grouping criteria for the included studies differed, subgroup analyses were performed. Results: A search of the electronic databases identified 14 studies, encompassing 6693 patients, that met the selection criteria. NLR higher than the cutoff value was significantly associated with poorer OS [HR 1.760, 95% CI 1.470–2.120, p <0.00001] and PFS [HR 1.850, 95% CI 1.430–2.390, p =.006]. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results of the meta‐analysis were relatively stable, and funnel plots were used to exclude the risk of bias. Conclusions: Elevated pretreatment NLR in peripheral blood is predictive of poorer OS and PFS in patients with NPC. NLR is an easily measured and important prognostic factor in patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) is the most common side effect of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) used in breast cancer patients and is related to the rate of adherence to AIs. The clinical effects of acupuncture on AIA have been assessed by some randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, some studies reported that acupuncture was effective, while others claimed that it was ineffective. To clarify the clinical and placebo effects of acupuncture in treating AIA, we conducted this meta-analysis. Methods: Two reviewers (XL and GW) independently searched for RCTs in 5 English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Springer, Cochrane Library) and 4 Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), SinoMed, VIP and Wanfang Database) from their inception to 30 November 2019. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this meta-analysis was performed by fixed or random-effects models, and data were pooled with mean differences (MDs). Results: Seven trials involving 603 patients were reviewed. The primary outcome, the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) score, significantly differed between the acupuncture and control groups [pain-related interference: MD = −1.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−2.99, −0.79], Z = 3.36 (P =.008 <.05), pain severity: MD = −1.57, 95% CI [−2.46, −0.68], Z = 3.45 (P =.0006 <.05), worst pain: MD = −2.31, 95% CI [−3.15, −1.48], Z = 5.47 (P <.0001 <.05)]. No severe adverse events were reported in any study. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for breast cancer patients with AIA. Additional research with improved blinding methods is warranted to further explore the nature of non-specific and placebo effects in true and sham acupuncture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between radial scars and breast cancer is unclear, as the results of different studies are inconsistent. We aim to solve the controversy and assess the breast cancer risk of radial scars. Methods: Case-control or cohort studies about radial scars and breast cancer risk published in PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library from 2000 to 2013 were searched. Heterogeneity for the eligible data was assessed and a pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Results: Five observational studies involving 2521 cases and 20290 controls were included in our study. From pooled analysis, radial scars were found to have a 1.33 fold increased risk of breast cancer, but which was not significant (P = 0.138). Sample size contributed to heterogeneity. In subgroup analysis, the results pooled from studies with sample size >2000 show that presence of radial scars was associated with 1.6 times breast cancer risk compared to absence of radial scars. Radial scars increased the risk of breast cancer among women with proliferative disease without atypia, but no significant association between radial scars and carcinoma was noted among women with atypical hyperplasia. Conclusions: Radial scars tend to be associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Radial scars should be considered among women with proliferative disease without atypia, while atypical hyperplasia is still the primary concern among women with both radial scars and atypical hyperplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies concerning the association between physical activity (PA) and mortality in breast cancer yielded mixed results. We investigated the association by performing a meta-analysis of all available studies. Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE to January 2014. We calculated the summary relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. The dose-response relationship was assessed by restricted cubic spline model and multivariate random-effect meta-regression. Sixteen cohort studies involving 42,602 patients of breast cancer were selected for meta-analysis. The analyses showed that patients who participated in any amount of PA before diagnosis had a RR of 0.82 (95 % CI 0.74-0.91) for breast cancer-specific mortality (vs. low PA). Those who participated in high PA and moderate PA before diagnosis had a RR of breast cancer-specific mortality of 0.81 (95 % CI 0.72-0.90) and 0.83 (95 % CI 0.73-0.94), respectively. Similar inverse associations of prediagnosis PA were found for all-cause mortality. Postdiagnosis PA on breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality also showed the same results. Stratifying by body mass index (<25 vs. ≥25) or menopausal status, all the subgroups experienced benefits with PA, with a stronger mortality reduction among overweight women than normal weight women and among postmenopausal women than premenopausal women. A linear and significant dose-response association was only found for breast cancer-specific or all-cause mortality and prediagnosis PA ( P for nonlinearity = 0.07 and 0.10, respectively). In conclusion, both prediagnosis and postdiagnosis PA were associated with reduced breast cancer-specific mortality and all-cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recognized as potential biomarkers for detection of breast cancer. Many experiments have been done to explore the aberrant expression of circulating miRNAs in breast cancer patients. However, an overwhelming number of miRNAs are identified and some expression characteristics are inconsistent between studies. OBJECTIVE: To distinguish the candidates for breast cancer detection from spurious miRNAs.METHODS: One solution is to take the intersections between studies. As repeated efforts can improve reliability and reduce error, valuable candidate miRNAs in this study are defined as those validated and consistently reported by multiple studies. Data validated by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were collected, and the most frequently reported miRNAs with consistent regulation were identified by using a vote-counting strategy based on the number of relevant studies, total sample size and fold change. RESULTS: The top four miRNAs (miR-21, -155, -222and -10b) are consistently regulated in comparisons of the pre-operative patients and the control group. And blood sample type was found to affect the regulation characteristics of miRNAs. CONCLUSION: MiR-21, -155, -222 and -10b are reliable candidate biomarkers for detection of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]