This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the scientific evidence on the implications of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) alterations in oral cancer, in order to determine its prognostic and clinicopathological significance. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published before February 2022, with no restrictions by publication date or language. The quality of the studies using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool (QUIPS tool). Meta-analysis was conducted to achieve the proposed objectives, as well as heterogeneity, subgroup, meta-regression, and small study-effects analyses. Twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria (2451 patients) were systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed. Our results were significant for the association between the loss of pRb expression and a better overall survival (HR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.64-0.98, p = 0.03), whereas no significant results were found for disease-free survival or clinico-pathological parameters (T/N status, clinical stage, histological grade). In conclusion, our evidence-based results demonstrate that loss of pRb function is a factor associated with improved survival in patients with OSCC. Research lines that should be developed in the future are highlighted.
Keywords: meta-analysis; oral cancer; pRb; prognosis; retinoblastoma; systematic review.