The risk factors for chemotherapy myelosuppression in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and identify the risk factors associated with chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (CIM) in breast cancer patients.

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, CNKI, CBM,Wanfang Data Knowledge Service and VIP databases were searched from the inception to February 2025 for cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies investigating the prevalence and risk factors of CIM in breast cancer patients. Two researchers independently screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and conducted data extraction and quality evaluation. Meta-analysis of the included literature was performed using Stata software.

A total of 24 studies involving 17,492 patients were included, and 21 potential risk factors were extracted. The pooled prevalence of CIM across all studies was 47.9%. Significant risk factors for CIM in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy included Age, BMI, Pathological staging, hemoglobin, Lymphocyte, Diabetes, Liver function, history of radiotherapy, chemotherapy regimen, genetic factors, albumin. (all P < 0.05).

CIM is a common and significant adverse effect in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, influenced by multiple risk factors. Identifying and understanding these factors can provide a crucial theoretical basis for healthcare professionals to develop targeted strategies for prevention and management, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.