Since reports on the clinical significance of
legumain in
cancer have shown inconsistent results, we systematically evaluated clinical indicators of
legumain in
cancer. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and EBSCO databases and the Wangfang and CNKI databases in China by using "
legumain" and ("
neoplasms" OR "
cancer") as search terms. We included case-controlled studies of
legumain and
cancer. The quality of the studies was evaluated by using Lichtenstein's guidelines, and valid data was extracted for analysis. In total, 10 articles were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that
legumain was overexpressed in
cancer compared with in normal tissue and was higher in stage III-IV disease than in I-II disease. Moreover,
legumain overexpression was correlated with poor prognosis and clinical stage. Furthermore,
Cancer Genome Atlas data showed that among patients with
rectal cancer, those with
tumors overexpressing
legumain had shorter overall survival than those in the low expression group (P < 0.05).
Legumain appears to be involved in
tumor development and deterioration; thus, it can potentially be developed into both a marker for monitoring and diagnosing
tumors and a therapeutic target.