%0 Journal Article
%T Prognostic significance of Dickkopf-1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
%A Chen K
%A Li J
%A Ouyang Y
%A Xie Y
%A Xu G
%A Xia T
%A You R
%A Liu G
%A He H
%A Huang R
%A Chen M
%J Expert Rev Anticancer Ther
%V 24
%N 3
%D 2024 Mar-Apr 4
%M 38044867
%F 3.627
%R 10.1080/14737140.2023.2289597
%X <B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) exhibits abnormal expression in various cancers and correlates with poor prognosis. This study investigates DKK1's prognostic relevance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC).<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>We conducted a comprehensive search across literature and sequencing databases to gather eligible studies and HNSC datasets. We calculated pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for clinical characteristics, as well as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) and progression-free/disease-free survival (PFS/DFS). Sensitivity analysis gauged result stability, and Egger's test assessed publication bias.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Pooled results indicated that HNSC patients with higher T-stage exhibited elevated DKK1 expression levels, and this elevated expression was associated with shorter OS and PFS/DFS. While sensitivity analysis identified some studies significantly affecting pooled results, most were unaffected, and no publication bias was detected.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>DKK1 holds promise as a potential biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in HNSC patients, but further research is needed for confirmation.