Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41001013›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in oncology2025

The impact of perineural invasion on prognosis in esophageal cancer patients after surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Jicheng Xiong, Shuoming Liang, Simiao Lu, Hainan Chen, Ziwei Wang, Hao Meng, Yi Zhu, Yongtao Han, Xuefeng Leng

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
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

9 authors.

Jicheng Xiong *School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Shuoming Liang *School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
Simiao LuSchool of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Hainan ChenSchool of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Ziwei WangSchool of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Hao MengSchool of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Yi ZhuDepartment of Ultrasound, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Yongtao HanDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Xuefeng LengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to update the prognostic value of perineural invasion(PNI) in various subgroups of esophageal cancer patients. Methods: We searched databases including PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, Web of Science, and Embase for full-text articles published in English on esophageal cancer related to PNI. The search was conducted up to January 1, 2024. We summarized the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), as well as recurrence and metastasis, to assess the prognostic value of PNI in patients with esophageal cancer. Results: A total of 38 eligible studies were ultimately included. Thirty-two studies, encompassing a total of 7157 patients, reported the correlation between PNI and OS. The results indicated that PNI is significantly associated with poor OS in esophageal cancer patients (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.41-1.68, P < 0.00001). Eleven studies, including a total of 2224 patients, reported the correlation between PNI and DFS. These studies found that PNI is significantly associated with poor DFS (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.25-1.62, P < 0.00001). Three studies, including a total of 1125 patients, reported no correlation between PNI and recurrence (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.62-2.18, P = 0.63). Two studies, including a total of 556 patients, reported a correlation between PNI and distant metastasis (HR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.02-4.73, P = 0.04). Further subgroup analysis revealed that PNI is an independent prognostic factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (OS: HR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.35-1.94, P<0.00001; DFS: HR=1.28, 95%CI: 1.03-1.59, P=0.03); however, in esophageal adenocarcinoma, PNI is not associated with OS or DFS (OS: HR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.00-1.53, P=0.05; DFS: HR=1.65, 95%CI: 0.95-2.87, P=0.08). PNI positivity is associated with unfavorable outcomes, irrespective of neoadjuvant therapy receipt. In the non-Asian subgroup, PNI is not statistically significant for poor DFS prognosis. Conclusion: PNI is a histological marker of aggressive disease and can serve as an independent prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer. PNI positivity can predict poor outcomes in ESCC, but its role as a prognostic indicator for adenocarcinoma requires further investigation.

Indexed as

distant metastasisesophageal cancerperineural invasionprognosisrecurrence

Identifiers

PMID41001013
PMCPMC12457124

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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.