Prevalence of Claudin 18.2 Expression in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
J Gastrointest CancerSep 3, 2026 (epub)
Fazal Elahi Khan, Rajendranandini Majumdar, Mohan Dodeja et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prevalence of CLDN18.2 expression in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma across 22 studies involving 12,173 patients. The pooled prevalence of CLDN18.2 positivity was found to be 33.99% (95% CI: 30.13%-38.07%), indicating significant variability among studies. The findings underscore the importance of standardized immunohistochemical assessment methods.
Key findings
- The pooled prevalence of CLDN18.2 positivity was 33.99% (95% CI: 30.13%-38.07%).
- High between-study heterogeneity was observed (I² = 92.4%).
- No significant difference in prevalence was found between antibody clones (p = 0.281).
- A non-significant trend indicated higher prevalence in non-Asian populations (37.85%) compared to Asian populations (32.10%).
Why it matters
Understanding the prevalence of CLDN18.2 expression is crucial for patient selection and treatment planning in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, especially with the recent approval of targeted therapies.