Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24906014›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2014

Tumor-associated neutrophils as a new prognostic factor in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Meixiao Shen, Pingping Hu, Frede Donskov, Guanghui Wang, Qi Liu, Jiajun Du

Abstract readEvaluation StudyMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 220 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
220citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

220 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Prognostic Significance of the Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2026
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  6. Pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2022
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  19. Prognostic value of systemic inflammatory markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
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160 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Meixiao ShenInstitute of Oncology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China.
Pingping HuInstitute of Oncology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China.
Frede DonskovDepartment of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Guanghui WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China.
Qi LiuInstitute of Oncology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China.
Jiajun DuInstitute of Oncology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong University, Jinan, P. R. China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTumor-associated neutrophils (TAN) have been reported in a variety of malignancies. We conducted an up-to-date meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of TAN in cancer.

methodPubmed, Embase and web of science databases were searched for studies published up to April 2013. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The impact of neutrophils localization and primary antibody were also assessed.

resultsA total of 3946 patients with various solid tumors from 20 studies were included. High density of intratumoral neutrophils were independently associated with unfavorable survival; the pooled HRs were 1.68 (95%CI: 1.36-2.07, I2 = 55.8%, p<0.001) for recurrence-free survival (RFS)/disease-free survival (DFS), 3.36 (95%CI: 2.08-5.42, I2 = 0%, p<0.001) for cancer-specific survival (CSS) and 1.66 (95%CI: 1.37-2.01, I2 = 70.5%, p<0.001) for overall survival (OS). Peritumoral and stromal neutrophils were not statistically significantly associated with survival. When grouped by primary antibody, the pooled HRs were 1.80 (95%CI: 1.47-2.22, I2 = 67.7%, p<0.001) for CD66b, and 1.44 (95%CI: 0.90-2.30, I2 = 45.9%, p = 0.125) for CD15, suggesting that CD66b positive TAN might have a better prognostic value than CD15.

conclusionHigh levels of intratumoral neutrophils are associated with unfavorable recurrence-free, cancer-specific and overall survival.

Indexed as

Antigens, CDBiomarkers, TumorCell Adhesion MoleculesGPI-Linked ProteinsHumansLewis X AntigenNeoplasmsNeutrophilsPredictive Value of TestsPrognosisAntigens, CDBiomarkers, TumorCEACAM8 protein, humanCell Adhesion MoleculesGPI-Linked ProteinsLewis X Antigen

Identifiers

PMID24906014
PMCPMC4048155

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.