FIB-4 index serves as a noninvasive prognostic biomarker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma A meta-analysis

Background: Liver fibrosis index FIB-4 has been reported to be linked with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis, but the results were not consistent. This study aimed to synthetically explore the relationship between FIB-4 and clinical outcomes of HCC. Methods: A number of online databases were searched for relevant articles published before March 1, 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% Cls) were calculated to assess the prognostic value of the FIB-A index in patients with HOC using Stata SE 12.0. Results: Eight articles (including 10 cohort studies) with 3485 HOC patients were finally included for analysis. The pooled results showed that FIB-4 index was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) for patients with HCC (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1 A 1-2.07, P <.001). And HCC patients with higher FIB-4 score were at significantly greater risk of recurrence 1.53 (95% CI: 1.29-1.78, P<.001). Subgroup analysis based on the treatment, stage and analysis type also confirmed the prognostic values of the FIB-4 score for OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in HCC. Conclusions: FIB-4 index might be a useful predictive marker in patients with HCC.