Abstract Background The prognostic significance of insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) expression has been explored in plenty of studies in human cancers. Because of the controversial results, the meta‐analysis was carried out to evaluate the relevance of IGFBP2 expression with the prognosis in various tumors. Methods The data searched from four databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of science) was used to calculate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) in this meta‐analysis. Subgroup analyses were stratified by ethnicity, cancer type, publication year, Newcastle–Ottawa Scale score, treatments, and populations. Results Twenty‐one studies containing 5560 patients finally met inclusion criteria. IGFBP2 expression was associated with lower overall survival (HR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.31–1.88) and progression‐free survival (HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.04–1.34) in cancer patients, but not with disease‐free survival (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.91–2.46) or recurrence‐free survival (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.93–2.40). The subgroup analyses indicated IGFBP2 overexpression was significantly correlated with overall survival in Asian patients (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.18–1.72), Caucasian patients (HR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.31–3.70), glioma (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.03–1.79), and colorectal cancer (HR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.43–4.44) and surgery subgroups (HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.50–2.58). Conclusion The meta‐analysis showed that IGFBP2 expression was associated with worse prognosis in several tumors, and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in cancer patients.
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