Fig. 2: Summary of articles reviewed in the meta-analysis.

a Location of tumors studied in articles. Upper GI includes tumors at esophageal, gastric, and ampullary locations. Prostate/others include prostatic, ocular, and skin tumors. Gynecological cancers include cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Urinary locations include kidney and bladder tumors. b Design of studies included in the analysis. NR not reported. c Mean percentage of males included in each article. Data not reported in 13 out of 115 (11%) articles. d Mean, median, minimum, and maximum age of patients included in each article. Sixty-three out of 115 articles (55%) did not report mean age of patients. Eighty-one out of 115 articles (70%) did not report the median age of patients. Forty-eight out of 115 (42%) did not report the minimum or maximum age of patients. e Mean and median follow-up of each article. Ninety-nine and 67 out of 115 articles (86 and 58%) did not report mean and median follow-up, respectively. f Local involvement of tumors of the patients studied in each article at diagnosis. NR not reported. g Lymph node involvement of tumors of the patients studied in each article at diagnosis. NR not reported. h Presence of metastasis at diagnosis in the patients studied in each article. NR not reported. i Treatment received by patients included in each article. Any form of radiotherapy or chemotherapy is considered as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy. NR not reported, Upper GI upper gastro intestinal, CRC colorectal carcinoma, Gyn: gynecological tumors.