Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is an intratumoral microcirculation pattern formed by aggressive cancer cells, which mediates tumor growth. In this study, we compiled the evidence from studies evaluating whether positive VM status can serve as a prognostic factor to patients with squamous cell carcinoma o...
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MDPI AG
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Cells |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/2/507 |
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| author | Roosa Hujanen Rabeia Almahmoudi Sini Karinen Bright I. Nwaru Tuula Salo Abdelhakim Salem |
| author_facet | Roosa Hujanen Rabeia Almahmoudi Sini Karinen Bright I. Nwaru Tuula Salo Abdelhakim Salem |
| author_sort | Roosa Hujanen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is an intratumoral microcirculation pattern formed by aggressive cancer cells, which mediates tumor growth. In this study, we compiled the evidence from studies evaluating whether positive VM status can serve as a prognostic factor to patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) or esophagus (ESCC). Comprehensive systematic searches were conducted using Cochrane Library, Ovid Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases. We appraised the quality of studies and the potential for bias, and performed random-effect meta-analysis to assess the prognostic impact of VM on the overall survival (OS). Seven studies with 990 patients were eligible, where VM was detected in 34.24% of patients. Positive-VM was strongly associated with poor OS (hazard ratio = 0.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.38−0.64), which remained consistent following the subgroup analysis of the studies. Furthermore, VM was associated with more metastasis to local lymph nodes and more advanced stages of HNSCC and ESCC. In conclusion, this study provides clear evidence showing that VM could serve as a promising prognosticator for patients with either HNSCC or ESCC. Further studies are warranted to assess how VM can be implemented as a reliable staging element in clinical practice and whether it could provide a new target for therapeutic intervention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:54:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-96ebd16016f64ee49414e26a1ea4fac7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:54:20Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-96ebd16016f64ee49414e26a1ea4fac72023-09-03T00:08:20ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092020-02-019250710.3390/cells9020507cells9020507Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisRoosa Hujanen0Rabeia Almahmoudi1Sini Karinen2Bright I. Nwaru3Tuula Salo4Abdelhakim Salem5Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandKrefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, SwedenDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandVasculogenic mimicry (VM) is an intratumoral microcirculation pattern formed by aggressive cancer cells, which mediates tumor growth. In this study, we compiled the evidence from studies evaluating whether positive VM status can serve as a prognostic factor to patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) or esophagus (ESCC). Comprehensive systematic searches were conducted using Cochrane Library, Ovid Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases. We appraised the quality of studies and the potential for bias, and performed random-effect meta-analysis to assess the prognostic impact of VM on the overall survival (OS). Seven studies with 990 patients were eligible, where VM was detected in 34.24% of patients. Positive-VM was strongly associated with poor OS (hazard ratio = 0.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.38−0.64), which remained consistent following the subgroup analysis of the studies. Furthermore, VM was associated with more metastasis to local lymph nodes and more advanced stages of HNSCC and ESCC. In conclusion, this study provides clear evidence showing that VM could serve as a promising prognosticator for patients with either HNSCC or ESCC. Further studies are warranted to assess how VM can be implemented as a reliable staging element in clinical practice and whether it could provide a new target for therapeutic intervention.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/2/507meta-analysisprognosisvasculogenic mimicrycancer cell-lined vesselshead and neck squamous cell carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinoma |
| spellingShingle | Roosa Hujanen Rabeia Almahmoudi Sini Karinen Bright I. Nwaru Tuula Salo Abdelhakim Salem Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Cells meta-analysis prognosis vasculogenic mimicry cancer cell-lined vessels head and neck squamous cell carcinoma esophageal squamous cell carcinoma |
| title | Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_full | Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_short | Vasculogenic Mimicry: A Promising Prognosticator in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Cancer? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| title_sort | vasculogenic mimicry a promising prognosticator in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal cancer a systematic review and meta analysis |
| topic | meta-analysis prognosis vasculogenic mimicry cancer cell-lined vessels head and neck squamous cell carcinoma esophageal squamous cell carcinoma |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/2/507 |
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