Background: The prognostic value of p16(INK4A) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been evaluated for several years although the results remain controversial.
Materials and methods: Various databases were systematically searched to identify studies published on the p16(INK4A) survival rate of ESCC patients. The pooled risk ratios and odds ratios with their corresponding 95% CIs were used to estimate the effect sizes.
Results: A total of 16 studies comprising 1314 patients were included. p16(INK4A) overexpression was significantly associated with improved 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, early tumor TNM stages, better tumor histological grade, no lymph node metastasis and more shallow tumor invasive depth (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: p16(INK4A) expression could be a useful biomarker to predict better prognosis for ESCC patients.
Keywords: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; meta-analysis; p16INK4A expression; prognosis.