Table 1. Main characteristics of all studies included in the meta-analysis.
| Author | Year | Country | Number | Age | Follow-up | Ethnicity | Cut-off value | T stage | Furman | Tumor type | Survival analysis | Source of HR | Multivariate analysis | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrom | 2016 | Poland | 266 | 61(22–85) | 46.1(41.2–51) | Caucasian | ULN | 45/68/109/8 | 13/127/71/28 | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Song | 2016 | China | 74 | 51.4(20.1–86.8) | 38.3(2.3–53.9) | Asian | 1.5ULN | 27/35/11/1 | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Song | 2016 | China | 155 | 55.3(17.9–86.8) | 36.3(4.3–110.5) | Asian | 1.5ULN | 48/36/11 | NR | mRCC | OS/PFS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Matrana | 2015 | USA | 88 | 65(34–90) | 29.3(25.4–33.2) | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | 19/42 | NR | mRCC | PFS | SC | yes | surgery |
| Fukushima | 2015 | Japan | 92 | 65(37–91) | 19(1–142) | Asian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Sasaki | 2015 | Japan | 126 | 67 | 30.8 | Asian | 250U/L | NR | NR | All stage | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Bodnar | 2015 | Poland | 58 | 60(41–78) | NR | Caucasian | ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Kubackova | 2014 | Czech | 836 | 59(21–83) | NR | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | All stage | OS/PFS | Report | no | targeted therapy |
| Girgis | 2014 | Canada | 385 | NR | NR | Caucasian | NR | 190/35/49/33/78(x) | 31/180/103/22/49(x) | Non-mRCC | OS | SC | yes | surgery |
| Malik | 2014 | USA | 70 | 56.5(44–76) | NR | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | All stage | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Poprach | 2014 | Czech | 319 | 62(45–77) | 15 | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS/PFS | Report | no | MT |
| Amato | 2014 | USA | 57 | NR | NR | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | 13/39(1,2–3,4) | All stage | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Cetin | 2014 | Turkey | 59 | 60 (34–80) | 15(2–59) | Caucasian | ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | no | MT |
| Atkinson | 2014 | USA | 185 | Over 18 | NR | Caucasian | 927 | NR | NR | mRCC | OS/PFS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Nakano | 2013 | Japan | 36 | 65.7 | 13(2–48) | Caucasian | 200U/L | NR | NR | mRCC | PFS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Kamba | 2013 | Japan | 144 | 62.9(19–86) | 2–218 | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | PFS | Report | yes | MT |
| Motzer | 2013 | USA | 1059 | 60(24–87) | NR | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS/PFS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Armstrong | 2012 | USA | 404 | 59.4(23–86) | NR | Caucasian | ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Du | 2012 | China | 286 | 55.72(28–77) | NR | Asian | 1.5ULN | 165/55/52/4 | 17/134/112/23 | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | surgery |
| Shinohara | 2011 | Japan | 473 | 64(32–87) | 18 | Asian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Abel | 2011 | USA | 75 | 60(23–80) | 15 | Caucasian | ULN | 14/16/34/11 | 12/20/4/32/7(Ⅱ/Ⅲ/Ⅳ/unknown/high grade) | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Zhang | 2011 | China | 83 | 51(27–75) | 27(12–46) | Asian | 315IU/L | NR | NR | mRCC | PFS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Aben | 2011 | Netherlands | 328 | 67.6±11 | NR | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | 14/32/43/13/226 (uknown) | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Richey | 2011 | USA | 188 | 60.8(18.2–83.9) | 13.1(1.0–64.4) | Caucasian | ULN | 45/28/89/26 | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Jeppesen | 2010 | Denmark | 120 | 58.3(29–73) | 48–72 | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
| Donskov | 2006 | Denmark | 120 | 57(19–74) | 57(32–73) | Caucasian | 1.5ULN | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | targeted therapy |
| Peccatori | 2005 | Italy | 70 | NR | 10 | Caucasian | 300U/L | NR | NR | All stage | OS | Report | yes | surgery |
| Lehmann | 2004 | Germany | 48 | 63(35–82) | 125.3(33.4–156) | Caucasian | 183U/L | 44761 | NR | Non-mRCC | OS | Report | no | surgery |
| Atzpodien | 2002 | Germany | 425 | NR | 20(0–157) | Caucasian | 220U/L | NR | NR | mRCC | OS | Report | yes | MT |
Abbreviation: RCC renal cell carcinoma, mRCC metastatic renal cell carcinoma, Non-mRCC non- metastatic renal cell carcinoma, OS overall survival, PFS progression-free survival, HR hazard ratio, NR not report, MT multiple therapy, SC survival curve, ULN upper limits of normal, x status unknown.