Abstract
BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their potential as cancer biomarkers. Although various studies have investigated the biological function of ciRS-7 and circHIPK3 in malignant tumors, their prognostic value in pan-cancer has not been systematically analyzed. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from January 1, 1990, to October 14, 2024. The impact of ciRS-7 or circHIPK3 on prognostic outcomes, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), was assessed by pooled hazard ratios (HR). The association between CiRS-7 or circHIPK3 and clinical features was evaluated using odds ratios (OR). The Data analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4. RESULTS: For most cancers, our meta-analysis of 14 studies (N = 2140) and 15 studies (N = 1045) showed that high ciRS-7 and circHIPK3 were associated with worse OS. Pooled analysis of 5 studies (N = 421) and 2 studies (N = 248) indicated that high ciRS-7 and circHIPK3 were also associated with shorter DFS. Additionally, high ciRS-7 and circHIPK3 expression were associated with worse histological grade, higher TNM stage, larger tumor size, more lymph node and distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: High ciRS-7 and circHIPK3 were significantly associated with poor prognosis and advanced clinical features in most cancers, suggesting their potential as prognostic biomarkers.