• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.347-360
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• 2017

Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate congenital malformations in infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART), compared with infants conceived spontaneously. Methods: In this study, available resources searched to find relevant articles included PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane, ProQuest, Iranmedex, Magiran, and Scientific Information Database. After extracting the necessary information from evaluated articles, meta-analysis on the articles' data was performed using Stata version 11.2. Results: In this study, from a total of 339 articles, extracted from the initial investigation, ultimately 30 articles were selected for meta-analysis that assessed the use of ART on the risk of congenital abnormalities and some birth complications on 5 470 181 infants (315 402 cases and 5 154 779 controls). The odds ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) for low birth weight was 1.89 (95% CI, 1.36 to 2.62), preterm labor 1.79 (95% CI, 1.21 to 2.63), cardiac abnormalities 1.43 (95% CI, 1.27 to 1.62), central nervous system abnormalities 1.36 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.70), urogenital system abnormalities 1.58 (95% CI, 1.28 to 1.94), musculoskeletal disorders 1.35 (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.64), and chromosomal abnormalities in infants conceived by ART was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.44), which were all statistically significant, except chromosomal abnormalities. Conclusions: The risk of congenital abnormalities and some birth complications were significantly higher in ART than normal conception, while chromosomal abnormalities were not; therefore, the application of ART should be selected individually for patients by detailed assessment to reduce such risks in the population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1263-1267
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• 2014

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play important roles in pathogenesis and development of cancer. Recently, many studies have show associations between polymorphisms in the promoter regions of MMPs and risk of gastric cancer. The present meta-analysis was conducted in order to investigate the potential association between four polymorphisms in the MMP gene and gastric cancer risk. Methods: A computerized literature search was conducted in databases of Med-line, Embase, Science Citation Index and PubMed till June 2013 for any MMP genetic association study of gastric cancer. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for each gene under dominant and recessive models, and heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Q test and $I^2$ value. Overall and subgroup analyses according to ethnicity were carried out with Stata 12.0. Results: 14 reports covering 8,146 patients (2,980 in the case group and 5,166 in the control group) were included in the present meta-analysis. We found that the MMP-7 (-181A>G) polymorphism increased the gastric cancer risk in therecessive model (GG vs. AA/AG, OR=1.768, 95% CI =1.153-2.712). For MMP2 -1306 C>T, MMP1-1607 1G/2G, and MMP9-1 562 C>T, there were no associations between these polymorphisms and the risk of gastric cancer under dominant or recessive models. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that the MMP7-181 A>G polymorphism may contribute to gastric cancer susceptibility. More studies are needed, especially in Europeans, in the future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9693-9698
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• 2014

Background: Associations between the 8473T>C polymorphism (rs5275) in the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene and breast cancer (BC) risk are still inconclusive and ambiguous. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively estimate the genetic risk of 8473T>C polymorphism in the COX-2 gene for BC. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Chinese biomedical (CBM), Weipu, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases, covering all publications (last search was updated on Aug 17, 2014). Statistical analyses were performed using Revman 5.3 and STATA 10.0 software. Results: A total of 6,720 cases and 9,794 controls in 12 studies were included in this study. The results indicated no significant associations between the 8473T>C polymorphism of the COX-2 gene and BC risk for the CC+TC vs TT model (pooled odds ratio (OR)=0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.90-1.03, and p=0.29). On subgroup analysis, we also found that subdivision on ethnicity among Caucasians, Asians and others also revealed no relationship with BC susceptibility. With the study design (CC+TC vs TT), no significant associations were found in either population-based case-control studies (PCC), or hospital-based case-control studies (HCC). Conclusions: This present meta-analysis suggests that the 8473T>C polymorphism in the COX-2 gene is not a conspicuous low-penetrant risk factor for developing BC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.441-447
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• 2013

Background: Prior studies examining the relation between diabetes mellitus (DM) and prostate cancer risk have reported controversial findings. We examined this association by conducting a detailed meta-analysis of the peer-reviewed literature. Methods: A comprehensive search for articles of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and bibliographies of retrieved articles published up to November, 2012 was performed. Methodological quality assessment of the trials was based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scaleq and the meta-analysis was performed using STATA 12.0. Dose-response regression was conducted with SPSS 19.0. Results: We included 29 studies in the meta-analysis (13 case-control studies, 16 cohort studies), and found an inverse association between DM and prostate cancer (relative risk (RR) 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-0.91). An inverse association was also observed in non-Asian populations (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.76-0.87) and population-based studies (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.77-0.91). No statistical significance was found of the association between prostate cancer risk and the duration of DM (p=0.338), and risk seemed not related with the age of DM diagnosis. Conclusions: This study suggested an inverse relationship between DM and prostate cancer, but without links to duration of disease or age of diagnosis.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.43-59
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• 2010

This study examined how much support families with pre-school children receive for child care along with the types of support they receive. The paper also investigated the factors that influence the financial and social support received from government, employers and grandparents of the children. Data for this study were obtained from a questionnaire completed by mothers of pre-school children (n=641) during the spring of 2009. The data were analyzed by the following methods: $\chi^2$, t-test, ANOVA, Logit analysis, and Tobit analysis using SPSS and STATA software. The profile of support for child care showed that approximately 33 percent of families with pre-school children received free or subsidized child care from the government, 12 percent received some forms of support for child care from the parents' employers, and 26 percent received support from grandparents either financially or in the form of free child care. The results of the Logit analysis demonstrated that families with pre-school children were more likely to receive child care subsides from the government when they had a higher number of pre-school children and a lower level of family income. The significant factors that influence support from employers were mother's educational level, the number of pre-school children, and family income. The significant factors that affect support from grandparents of the children were the mother's age, the mother's employment status, the type of residence, and the family type.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4261-4265
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• 2013

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) may be a powerful predictor of survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy after operative resection, but many existing studies have yielded inconclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic role of RRM1 in predicting survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine. An extensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases from their inception through May 1st, 2013. This meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software and crude hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Eight clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total of 665 pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, including 373 patients in the high RRM1 expression group and 292 patients in the low RRM1 expression group. Our meta-analysis revealed that high RRM1 expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) of pancreatic cancer patients (HR=1.56, 95%CI=0.95-2.17, P<0.001). High RRM1 expression also was linked to longer disease-free survival (DFS) than low RRM1 expression (HR=1.37, 95%CI=0.25-2.48, P=0.016). In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggests that high RRM1 expression may be associated with improved OS and DFS of pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Detection of RRM1 expression may be a promising biomarker for gemcitabine response and prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4327-4333
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• 2016

Purpose: To systematically review efficacyand safety of robotic gastrectomy (RG) compared with conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out using PubMed, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, VIP and other sources like relevant references to obtain comparative studies assessing the effectiveness and safety between RG and LG published between 2013 and 2016. Then the literature was screened and the data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. The quality of the literature was assessed, and the data analyzed using Stata/SE 14 software. Fixed effects or random effects models wereapplied according to heterogeneity. Results: A total of 12 non-randomized observational clinical studies involving 3,580 patients were included, of which 1,096 had undergone RG and 2,484 had received LG. The results of the meta-analysis showed in terms of effectiveness, RG was associated with less blood loss, less time to first flatus and greater number of harvested lymph nodes, but there were no significant differences in proximal and distal resection margins, compared with LG. In terms of efficiency, RG was associated with shorter hospital stay, but longer operative time. In terms of safety, there were no statistically significant differences in complications, mortality and conversions between RG and LG. Conclusions: RG can achieve comparable or better short-term and radical effects than LG, with respect to effectiveness, efficiency and safety in treatment of gastric carcinoma. Future studies involving RG should focus on decreasing operative time and reducing cost. Moreover, there is a need for randomized controlled trials comparing the two techniques with long-term follow-up.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5625-5633
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• 2015

Background: ${\beta}$-catenin plays a crucial role in the progression of breast cancer (BC) and a prognostic role of in BC patients has been widely reported. However, controversy still remains. Materials and Methods: Identical search strategies were used to search relevant literature in electronic databases updated to July 1, 2014. Individual hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and pooled HRs with 95%CIs were used to evaluate the strength of association between positive ${\beta}$-catenin expression in different subcellular locations and survival results of BC patients. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Funnel plots of Begg's and Egger's linear regression test were used to investigate publication bias. Heterogeneity and sensitivity were also assessed. All the work was completed using STATA. Results: A total of 2,204 patients from 12 evaluative studies were finally included. Pooled HRs and 95%CIs suggested that ${\beta}$-catenin expression in cytoplasm/nucleus had an unfavorable impact on both overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.93, 95%CI: 1.40-2.65) and disease free survival (DFS)/ recurrent free survival (RFS) (HR: 1.60, 95%CI: 1.20-2.13) in BC patients. However, here was no significant association between ${\beta}$-catenin expression in the membranes with OS (HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.42-1.02) or DFS/RFS (HR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.38-1.13). Publication bias was absent in all of the four outcomes. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the results of this meta-analysis were robust. Conclusions: Positive ${\beta}$-catenin expression in cytoplasm/nucleus rather than in membrane is a significant prognostic factor in patients with BC who have been surgically treated.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5407-5413
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• 2015

Background: Published data regarding associations between the P275A polymorphism in the macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (MSR1) gene and prostate cancer (PCa) risk are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the genetic risk of P275A polymorphism in MSR1 gene for PCa. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out in Pubmed, Medline (Ovid), Embase, CBM, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang databases, covering all available publications (last search was performed on Apr 27, 2015). Statistical analysis was performed using Revman 5.2 and STATA 10.1 software. Results: A total of 5,017 cases and 4,869 controls in 12 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. When all groups were pooled, there was no evidence that the P275A polymorphism had a significant association with PCa under dominant (OR=0.93, 95%CI=0.81-1.06, and p=0.28), co-dominant (homogeneous OR=0.97, 95%CI=0.56-1.68, and p=0.92; heterogeneous OR=0.93, 95%CI=0.74-1.15, and p=0.49), recessive (OR=1.10, 95%CI=0.65-1.87, and p=0.73), over-dominant (OR=0.93, 95%CI=0.75-1.15, and p=0.50), and allelic (OR=0.95, 95%CI=0.77-1.16, and p=0.61) genetic models. For stratified analyses by ethnicity and study design, no significant associations were found in the white race, the yellow race, the black race and mixed ethnicity, and the population-based case-control (PCC) and hospital-based case-control (HCC) studies under all genetic models. Conclusions: Based on our meta-analysis, the P275A polymorphism in the MSR1 gene is unlikely to be a risk factor for PCa.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3431-3436
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• 2012

Objective: X-ray cross-complementing group 4 (XRCC4) is a major repair gene for DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. Several potentially functional polymorphisms of the XRCC4 gene have been implicated in breast cancer risk, but individually published studies showed inconclusive results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the association between XRCC4 polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer. Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of science and CBM databases were searched for all relevant articles published up to June 20, 2012. Potential associations were assessed with comparisons of the total mutation rate (TMR), complete mutation rate (CMR) and partial mutation rate (PMR) in cases and controls. Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.1.6 and STATA 12.0 software. Results: Five studies were included with a total of 5,165 breast cancer cases and 4,839 healthy controls. Meta-analysis results showed that mutations of rs2075686 (C>T) and rs6869366 (G>T) in the XRCC4 gene were associated with increased risk of breast cancer, while rs2075685 (G>T) and rs10057194 (A>G) might decrease the risk of breast cancer. However, rs1805377 (A>G), rs1056503 (G>T), rs28360317 (ins>del) and rs3734091 (A>G) polymorphisms of XRCC4 gene did not appear to have an influence on breast cancer susceptibility. Conclusion: Results from the current meta-analysis suggest that the rs2075685 (G>T) and rs6869366 (G>T) polymorphisms of the XRCC4 gene might increase the risk of breast cancer, whereas rs2075685 (G>T) and rs10057194 (A>G) might be protective factors.