Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be associated with several tumors. However, its association with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well characterized. We performed a literature review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic relevance of elevated CRP levels in patients with NPC.
Methods: A literature search for relevant studies was performed on PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated to assess the association between elevated CRP levels and survival outcomes.
Results: Five studies with a combined study population of 5215 patients with NPC were included. Pooled hazard ratios for overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival were 1.84 (95% CI = 1.57-2.17) and 1.81 (95% CI = 1.53-2.14), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that types of indicators and treatment before inclusion had no significant impact on the observed association.
Conclusion: Elevated serum CRP levels in patients with NPC were associated with worse prognosis.