Prognostic value of osteopontin expression in breast cancer: A meta-analysis

Osteopontin (OPN) has been implicated in tumor development and progression over the last few years. However, the prognostic value of OPN overexpression in patients with breast cancer remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association of OPN expression in the tumor with the clinicopathological characteristics and survival of breast cancer patients. A total of 8 studies met the inclusion criteria and were entered in the meta-analysis. The data analysis demonstrated that OPN expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis [pooled odds ratio = 2.026, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.199-3.425, P=0.008, random-effects model]. We also found that OPN expression was positively associated with overall survival [ hazard ratio (HR) = 3.69, 95% CI: 1.45-9.42, P=0.000, random-effects model) and disease-free survival (pooled HR=2.40, 95% CI: 1.27-4.55, P=0.007, fixed-effects model). Based on the results of this study, we concluded that OPN overexpression in the tumor is a candidate positive prognostic biomarker for breast cancer patients.