SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2026
Tumor-associated neutrophils and survival outcomes in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Tumour-Associated Neutrophils in Colorectal Cancer: a Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Comprehensive Literature Review.Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in the Tumor Microenvironment: Mechanisms, Immune Regulation, and Implications for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) are abundant in the colorectal cancer (CRC) microenvironment, but their prognostic relevance remains controversial. We conducted an updated systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis to evaluate associations between TAN infiltration in primary tumors and survival outcomes in CRC. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 1, 2026. We included studies of histologically confirmed CRC that quantified TANs in primary tumors and reported hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), or disease-free survival (DFS); recurrence-free survival was combined with DFS. Multilevel random-effects models accounted for correlated effect sizes and generated overall and region-specific estimates from univariate and multivariate analyses. Prespecified subgroup analyses and multilevel meta-regression explored heterogeneity by study region, tumor stage, detection method, and TAN markers. Results: Twenty-five studies (10,356 patients) were included. High TAN infiltration was consistently associated with improved CSS (univariate HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.48-0.71; multivariate HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54-0.81) with low heterogeneity across tumor regions. For OS and DFS, pooled estimates suggested an overall protective trend with substantial heterogeneity; subgroup analyses indicated stronger protective associations in Euro-American cohorts and in stage I-III disease. In contrast, multivariate DFS models suggested higher recurrence risk in Euro-American populations and in studies with unclear TAN marker reporting. Meta-regression identified tumor stage and TAN markers as major contributors to heterogeneity in OS and DFS. Conclusions: High TAN infiltration is a robust, independent favorable factor for cancer-specific survival in CRC. Associations with OS and DFS are context-dependent and appear modified by tumor stage and methodological factors, particularly TAN markers and detection methods, supporting refined prognostic stratification and further study of neutrophil-targeted strategies. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023493604, identifier CRD42023493604.
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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.