Abstract: Objective To investigate the prognostic value of leptin receptor in early breast cancer, and its correlation with clinicopathlogical parameters. Methods We searched Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases in relevant studies for evaluating leptin receptor expression and breast cancer survival. Fixed- and random-effect meta-analyses were conducted based on heterogeneity of included studies. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot and Egger’s test. Results There are seven studies with 1990 patients included in this meta-analysis. Leptin receptor expression has no correlation with menopausal status, body mass index, hormone receptor status, Her2 status, ipsilateral lymph node metastases, p53 and leptin expression level. Leptin receptor has no significant impact on disease-free survival or overall survival. Within the subgroup using immunohistochemical staining as assessment assay, leptin receptor positivity is contributed to prolonged disease-free survival (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40~0.99, p<0.05). Conclusions: Early breast cancer patients with leptin receptor positivity have low risk for disease recurrence.

Key words: Breast cancer, Leptin, Leptin receptor, Prognostic value, Meta-analyses