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BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of elevated pretreatment platelet counts remains controversial in lung cancer patients. We performed the present meta-analysis to determine its precise role in these patients. METHODS: We employed a multiple search strategy in the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases to identify eligible studies. Disease-free survival (DFS)/progression-free survival (PFS)/time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were used as outcomes with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among the studies and publication bias were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 40 studies including 16,696 lung cancer patients were eligible for the analysis. Overall, the pooled analysis showed that compared with normal platelet counts, elevated pretreatment platelet counts were associated with poorer OS (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.37-1.72, P < 0.001) and poorer DFS/PFS/TTP (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.33-1.98, P < 0.001) in patients with lung cancer. In subgroup analyses, elevated pretreatment platelet counts were also associated with poorer OS and DFS/PFS/TTP in most subgroups. There was no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed that elevated pretreatment platelet counts were an independent predictor of OS and DFS/PFS/TTP in lung cancer patients. Large-scale prospective studies and a validation study are warranted.
Yuan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.