Cancer-associated fibroblasts, clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of liver cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on real-world research

Table 2 All pooled results in meta-analysis

Marker	Outcome	Cancer type	Number of cohorts	Pooled effect size		heterogeneity		Publication bias with Egger’s test (P value)
				OR/HR (95%CI)	P value	P value	I2 (%)
All markers	Tumor size (cm) (> 5)	LC	6	1.27 (0.81-1.99)	0.3	0.503	< 0.01%	0.832
		HCC	3	1.60 (0.86-2.96)	0.138	0.734	< 0.01%	0.506
		iCCA	3	0.98 (0.51-1.89)	0.949	0.275	22.50%	0.284
	High AFP (> 200)	HCC	3	1.32 (0.99-1.76)	0.061	0.257	26.50%	0.383
	Venous infiltration	LC	6	1.06 (0.63-1.77)	0.84	0.376	6.30%	0.416
		HCC	2	0.70 (0.37-1.33)	0.28	0.608	< 0.01%	NA
		iCCA	4	2.31 (0.95-5.61)	0.065	0.911	< 0.01%	0.355
	TNM stage (advanced)	LC	8	0.81 (0.63-1.05)	0.109	0.162	33.40%	0.061
		HCC	4	0.68 (0.51-0.90)	0.007	0.662	< 0.01%	0.278
		iCCA	4	1.66 (0.95-2.90)	0.077	0.776	< 0.01%	0.052
	Low differentiation	iCCA	4	1.62 (0.98-2.67)	0.061	0.169	40.50%	0.244
	OS	LC	9	1.62 (1.34-1.97)	< 0.001	0.03	52.90%	0.256
		HCC	5	1.67 (1.34-2.07)	< 0.001	0.022	65.10%	0.649
		iCCA	4	1.47 (0.97-2.23)	0.07	0.153	43.10%	0.402
SMA	Venous infiltration	LC	3	1.25 (0.67-2.34)	0.479	0.176	42.50%	0.544
		HCC	1	0.79 (0.36-1.74)	0.564	NA	NA	NA
		iCCA	2	2.70 (0.97-7.49)	0.057	0.921	< 0.01%	NA
	TNM stage (advanced)	LC	3	1.01 (0.60-1.72)	0.96	0.321	12.00%	0.098
		HCC	1	0.66 (0.30-1.46)	0.305	NA	NA	NA
		iCCA	2	1.44 (0.70-2.93)	0.321	0.624	< 0.01%	NA
	OS	LC	3	2.13 (1.30-3.51)	0.003	0.969	< 0.01%	0.652
		HCC	1	2.29 (1.01-5.22)	0.048	NA	NA	NA
		iCCA	2	2.04 (1.09-3.81)	0.025	0.902	< 0.01%	NA

LC: Liver cancer; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; iCCA: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; TNM: Tumor-node-metastasis; OS: Overall survival; OR: Odds ratio; HR: Hazard ratio; CI: Confidence interval; NA: Not available.