Prognostic value of PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion status in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review is to provide an unprecedented summary of the prognostic impact of PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion status in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Methods: Studies evaluating PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion gene or its variants as a prognostic marker were systematically searched and comparative meta-analysis of overall survival was carried out.
Results: A total of 7 studies comprising 993 patients with rhabdomyosarcoma were included. Three eligible studies showed no significant difference of survival between fusion positive and negative alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Four eligible studies showed that PAX3-FOXO1 fusion variant may indicate a lower survival probability than PAX7-FOXO1, although the effect did not reach a level of statistical significance (pooled hazard ratios, 1.66; 95% CI, 0.95-2.89; p=0.07).
Conclusions: There was no significant difference in the overall survival between patients with the positive and negative fusion gene, but there were indications of PAX3-FOXO1 being an unfavorable prognostic factor.
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