High c-Met expression is a negative prognostic marker for colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Recent studies have shown that c-Met is an important signal in the development of colorectal cancer, but the prognostic value of c-Met remains unclear. We aimed to analyze the prognostic effect of c-Met in colorectal cancer through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Through database searches, we identified six articles describing how c-Met status affects colorectal cancer prognosis. A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between the hazard ratio and survival. The available outcome data from six articles were examined. A meta-analysis of the HR and the 95 % confidence interval (CI) indicated a significantly poor overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with high expression levels of c-Met. The subgroup analysis showed that the prognostic effect of the c-Met level was similar in different methods and was not associated with disease stages. High c-Met expression levels could predict a poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. The c-Met status could be used to evaluate the prognosis in clinical patients.