Mesothelin as a biomarker for ovarian carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

The objective of this work was to estimate the accuracy of mesothelin as a biomarker for ovarian cancer. A quantitative systematic review was performed. A comprehensive search of the Medline, LILACS, SCOPUS, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Biomed Central, and ISI Web of Science databases was conducted from January 1990 to June 2015. For inclusion in this systematic review, the papers must have measured mesothelin levels in at least two histological diagnoses; ovarian cancer (borderline or ovarian tumor) vs. benign or normal ovarian tissue. For each study, 2 x 2 contingency tables were constructed. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio. The verification bias was performed according to QUADAS-2. Statistical analysis was performed with the software Stata 11, Meta-DiSc(r) and RevMan 5.2. Twelve studies were analyzed, which included 1,561 women. The pooled sensitivity was 0.62 (CI 95% 0.58 - 0.66) and specificity was 0.94 (CI 95% 0.92 - 0.95). The DOR was 38.92 (CI 95% 17.82 - 84.99). Our systematic review shows that mesothelin cannot serve alone as a biomarker for the detection of ovarian cancer.