SynthesisBMJ open2025
Prognostic value of RANK signalling in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Nuclear factor κB signalling in breast cancer: mechanisms, crosstalk and therapeutic targeting.Molecular biology reports · 2026Review
- Development and validation of an interpretable machine learning model for predicting 5-year recurrence in breast cancer.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate the prognostic value of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) and RANK ligand (RANKL) of the RANK signalling in patients with breast cancer.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: We searched the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases up to October 2024. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies of patients with primary breast cancer evaluating OPG, RANK or RANKL expression in relation to survival outcomes were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data from eligible studies were extracted, and HRs with 95% CIs for overall survival (OS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were used to assess prognostic value.
resultsA total of 18 studies, comprising 11 141 patients with primary breast cancer, were included in this analysis. Elevated OPG expression was found to be significantly associated with an increase in MFS (HR=0.59, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.80, p<0.001) in patients with breast cancer. Conversely, elevated RANK expression was associated with a statistically significant reduction in MFS (HR=1.74, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.40, p<0.001) and DFS (HR=1.34, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.68, p=0.01). No significant association was found between RANKL expression and MFS, DFS or OS after adjusting for publication bias.
conclusionsDownregulation of the RANK signalling predicts survival benefits in patients with primary breast cancer. Further investigation is warranted to explore the therapeutic potential of inhibiting RANK signalling in breast cancer. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021234825.
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