SynthesisHistopathology2026
Direct tumour-adipocyte contact / Stroma AReactive Invasion Front Area (TAC/SARIFA) predicts adverse outcome in colorectal cancer: a focused evidence synthesis and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Histopathology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsDirect tumour-adipocyte interaction at the invasion front, termed Stroma AReactive Invasion Front Areas (SARIFA), has recently emerged as a novel H&E-based biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC). SARIFA positivity is defined by a direct tumour-adipocyte contact (TAC) without intervening stroma or inflammatory infiltrate. We performed a focused evidence synthesis of all published studies and a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence on the prognostic value of TAC/SARIFA in CRC. METHODS AND
resultsEligible studies, identified via PubMed (7 May 2026), were observational cohorts reporting multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for TAC/SARIFA positivity vs negativity, with cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) as endpoints. All included studies were retrospective in design. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Adjusted HRs were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis with restricted maximum-likelihood estimation and Hartung-Knapp confidence intervals. Of 17 records identified, 12 CRC-focused original publications were included in the qualitative synthesis. Seven cohorts (5,932 patients) contributed CSS and five cohorts (4,545 patients) OS data, drawn from eight independent cohorts across six studies. All studies were rated good quality (NOS 7-9/9). TAC/SARIFA positivity was associated with inferior CSS (pooled HR 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-2.01) and OS (pooled HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.39-1.68), with no relevant heterogeneity detected.
conclusionTAC/SARIFA positivity is independently associated with inferior CSS and OS in CRC, warranting prospective validation. We propose TAC as a more descriptive terminology.
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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.