OBJECTIVE

Several studies have shown that cancer stem cells (CSCs) promote tumor angiogenesis and are involved in tumor growth. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between cancer stem cell markers expression and microvessel density (MVD).

METHODS

Relevant literature was identified from diverse databases. The Stata 12.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used to performed meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies investigating the correlation between CSCs and tumor angiogenesis were included in a total of 1409 cases. The result showed that positive CSC markers expression were associated with increased MVD count in human tumors and CSC-transplanted mouse tumor models (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

CSCs may be associated with angiogenesis during the growth and development of tumors.