The prognostic implication of pre-treatment hemoglobin levels in esophageal cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Growing evidence has shown the prognostic significance of hemoglobin for malignant tumors. Nevertheless, less is known about the role that hemoglobin plays in the prognosis of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Herein, we aimed to review comprehensively the evidence for the association between hemoglobin level and the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients by conducting a meta-analysis. Method and materials PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Chinese databases (up to May 1, 2020) were systematically reviewed to identify studies of esophageal cancer populations that measured hemoglobin level and provided the sufficient follow-up information. Result Twenty-three eligible studies including 3449 patients were identified. A combined HR of 1.098 (95%CIs:1.056–1.142, P  Conclusion Patients with esophageal cancers and lower hemoglobin levels have reduced overall survival compared to patients with higher hemoglobin levels.