Table 1

Main characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis

First author, publication year	Case nationality	Median or mean age	Dominant ethnicity	Study design	Malignant disease	Main type of pathology	Detected sample	Survival analysis	Source of HR	Maximum months of follow-up
Markou, 2013	Greece	60^Median	Caucasian	R	Breast cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS/ DFS	Reported	140
Madden, 2013	Ireland	NM	Caucasian	R	Breast cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	Reported	175
Kalogirou, 2013	Germany	63^Median	Caucasian	R	Prostate cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	bRFS	Reported	154
Hulf, 2013	Australia	61^Median	Caucasian	R	Prostate cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	RFS	Reported	150
Hou, 2013	China	45^Mean	Asian	R	Human glioma	Glioblastomas	Tissue	OS	Reported	60
Hagman, 2013	Sweden	NM	Caucasian	R	Prostate cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	Reported	204
Ratert, 2013	Germany	NM	Caucasian	R	Bladder cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	SC	161
Tran, 2013	USA	NM	Caucasian	R	Bladder cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	SC	150
Zhang, 2012	China	60^Mean	Asian	R	NSCLC	SqCa	Tissue	OS	Reported	16.25
Quesne, 2012	UK	NM	Caucasian	R	Breast cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	Reported	120
Le, 2012	China	60^Mean	Asian	R	NSCLC	AdenoCA/SqCa	Serum	OS/DFS	Reported	30
Karaayvaz, 2012	USA	NM	Caucasian	R	Endometrial cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	Reported	150
Hanna, 2012	USA	63.43^Mean	Caucasian	R	Melanoma	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS	Reported	120
Radojicic, 2011	Greece	NM	Caucasian	R	Breast cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	OS/DFS	SC	120
Schaefer, 2010	Germany	63^Median	Caucasian	R	Prostate cancer	AdenoCA	Tissue	RFS	Reported	93
Childs, 2009	USA	60^Mean	Caucasian	P	HNC	SqCa	Tissue	OS/DFS	Reported	60
Markou, 2008	Greece	60^Median	Caucasian	R	NSCLC	AdenoCA/SqCa	Tissue	OS/DFS	SC	50

Study design is described as prospective (P) or retrospective (R).
AdenoCA, adenocarcinoma; bRFS, biochemical recurrence-free survival; DFS, disease-free survival; HNC, head and neck cancer; NM, not mentioned; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; RFS, relapse-free survival; SC, survival curve; SqCa, squamous carcinoma.