Clinicopathological and demographical characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer patients with ALK rearrangements: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively examine the relationship between the clinicopathological and demographical characteristics and ALK rearrangements in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods and main findings

In total, 62 qualified articles including 1178 ALK rearranged cases from 20541 NSCLC patients were analyzed, and the data were extracted independently by two investigators. NSCLC patients with ALK rearrangements tended to be younger than those without (mean difference: -7.16 years; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -9.35 to -4.96; P<0.00001), even across subgroups by race. Compared with female NSCLC patients, the odds ratio (OR) of carrying ALK rearrangements was reduced by 28% (95% CI: 0.58-0.90; P = 0.004) in males, and this reduc

SUBMITTER: Fan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4069179 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature