The prognostic value of HOXA13 in solid tumors: A meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose The prognostic value of homeobox (HOX) A13 (HOXA13) in cancer remains uncertain due to limitations of sample size and discrete outcome in previous studies. We performed this meta-analysis to explore the prognostic effect of HOXA13 in patients with solid tumors. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched to identify eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and clinicopathological factors were extracted. Subgroup analysis according to cancer type, sample size and analysis method were also performed. Results A total of 844 patients with solid tumor from 9 eligible studies were incorporated in the meta-analysis. We found that high HOXA13 expression level was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in human cancer (HR = 2.23; 95%CI: 1.74–2.85), and significantly related to poorer histological grade (odds ratio (OR) = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.40–2.96), positive lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.26–3.02) and more advanced tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage (OR = 3.92, 95%CI: 2.46–6.22). Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggests that HOXA13 might be a valuable biomarker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target for human solid tumors.