Prognostic Role of High Gal-9 Expression in Solid Tumours: a Meta-Analysis

Background/Aims: Recently, many studies have demonstrated that galectin-9 (Gal-9) exhibits altered expression and has a close association with metastasis and recurrence in various cancers. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of Gal-9 expression in solid tumours. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science until June 2017 and identified fourteen eligible studies containing 2,408 patients to include in the meta-analysis. Results: The pooled results indicated that higher Gal-9 expression in cancer tissue associated with an improved CSS (HR=0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.58). In the subgroup analysis, a significant relationship was observed between higher Gal-9 expression and both CSS (HR=0.48, 95% CI 0.39-0.59) and OS (HR=0.62, 95% CI 0.49-0.78) in digestive cancers. Conclusions: The findings of this meta-analysis highlight the role of Gal-9 as a useful clinical prognostic biomarker, which may facilitate the treatment of patients with solid tumours