Serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 before treatment predicts the prognosis of lung cancer in Asian populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Up until now, no clear consensus has been reached on the role of serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels in predicting survival in patients with lung cancer. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic value of serum KL-6 levels before treatment in lung cancer.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies from inception to June 23, 2025. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024568549).

Results

Thirteen studies involving 1,723 patients were included in this meta-analysis. High serum KL-6 levels before treatment were associated with shorter progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.89, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 1.46-2.44, P<0.001; heterogeneity: I²=6.5%, P = 0.37) and overall s

SUBMITTER: Huang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12484158 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature