A systematic review and meta-analysis of higher expression of folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) predicts poor cancer prognosis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#biomarkers-tumor #disease-free-survival #folate-receptor-1 #gene-expression-regulation-neoplastic #humans

A systematic review and meta-analysis of higher expression of folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) predicts poor cancer prognosis

Liu et al., 2020 | Biomarkers | Meta Analysis

Citation

Liu Yantong, Lian Ting, Yao Yang. A systematic review and meta-analysis of higher expression of folate receptor alpha (FOLR1) predicts poor cancer prognosis. Biomarkers. 2020-Jul;25(5):367-374. doi:10.1080/1354750X.2020.1771420

Abstract

Folate receptor alpha (FOLR1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked protein, is a well characterized folate transporter. However, the prognostic power of FOLR1 in cancer remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic roles of FOLR1 on different cancers. Twelve studies involving 4471 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis indicated that high FOLR1 significantly predicted poor overall survival (OS) (pooled hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.64-0.94, p = 0.009) and the disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.07-1.47, p = 0.005). Subgroup analyses based on tumour type found that high FOLR1 level was associated with poor OS in breast cancer (HR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.54-4.59, p = 0.0005) and endometrial carcinoma (HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.05-1.61, p = 0.02). However, FOLR1 has relatively weakly correlation with gender, tumour size and chemotherapy. Additionally, overexpression of FOLR1 was correlated with grade, FIGO stage, vital status and nodule status. The present meta-analysis indicated that the high expression of FOLR1 is associated with the poor survival of cancer patients, which is helpful for the clinical decision-making process.

Key Findings

The present meta-analysis indicated that the high expression of FOLR1 is associated with the poor survival of cancer patients, which is helpful for the clinical decision-making process.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 4471
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Folate Receptor 1
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: folate

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09