Abstract
Introduction: Cholelithiasis and related treatments are associated with several gastrointestinal cancers. Thus, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between cholelithiasis and cholecystectomy with the risk of liver cancer.
Materials and Methods: The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We performed a search on the databases of Web of Science, Cochrane, ProQuest, PubMed, and Google Scholar until January 21, 2024. Moreover, the statistical analysis was performed using the STATA 14, and the significance level was set at P<0.05.
Results: The present meta-analysis included 15 studies with a total sample size of 1426704 participants. According to our results, a significant association between cholelithiasis and liver cancer (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.52, 2.03), as well as cholecystectomy and liver cancer (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.29, 1.87) were detected. Moreover, the relationship between cholelithiasis and liver cancer was significant in cohort studies (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.51, 2.04) and insignificant in case-control studies (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 0.86). However, there was a significant relationship between cholecystectomy and liver cancer in both the cohort (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.29, 2.04) and case-control studies (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.41).
Conclusion: In conclusion, cholelithiasis and cholecystectomy increased the risk of liver cancer by 76% and 55%, respectively. Thus, they can be considered as risk factors for liver cancer.
Registration: This study has been compiled based on the PRISMA checklist, and its protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024508640) and Research Registry (UIN: reviewregistry1787) website.