Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of C-reactive protein in patients with ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis

Background Many studies have explored the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and survival outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer (OC); however, consistent results have not been reported. As such, this meta-analysis was performed to accurately assess the prognostic and clinicopathological roles of CRP in OC. Methods The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for relevant studies published from inception to April 7, 2023. The effect of CRP level(s) and OC prognostic outcomes was analyzed by computing the combined hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Thereafter, the association between CRP level(s) and clinicopathological factors was evaluated using a combined odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% CI. Results The present meta-analysis included 15 studies comprising 3202 subjects. According to the combined data, higher CRP levels were markedly associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR 1.23 [95% CI 1.11–1.37]; p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 1.55 [95% CI 1.30–1.84]; p < 0.001) in patients with OC. Furthermore, the results indicated that high CRP levels were significantly correlated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages III–IV ( p < 0.001), residual tumor size ≥ 1 cm ( p < 0.001), histological grade 3 ( p = 0.040), and ascites volume ≥ 500 mL ( p < 0.001). Conclusion The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated that higher serum CRP levels were strongly associated with dismal OS and PFS in subjects with OC. High CRP levels were also significantly associated with clinical factors implicated in tumor aggressiveness and the development of OC.