The potential role of MGMT rs12917 polymorphism in cancer risk: an updated pooling analysis with 21010 cases and 34018 controls

In the present study, we aimed at determining the potential role of rs12917 polymorphism of the O -6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase ( MGMT ) gene in the occurrence of cancer. Based on the available data from the online database, we performed an updated meta-analysis. We retrieved 537 articles from our database research and finally selected a total of 54 case-control studies (21010 cases and 34018 controls) for a series of pooling analyses. We observed an enhanced risk in cancer cases compared with controls, using the genetic models T/T compared with C/C ( P -value of association test <0.001; odds ratio (OR) = 1.29) and T/T compared with C/C+C/T ( P <0.001; OR = 1.32). We detected similar positive results in the subgroups 'Caucasian', and 'glioma' (all P <0.05; OR > 1). However, we detected negative results in our analyses of most of the other subgroups ( P >0.05). Begg's and Egger's tests indicated that the results were free of potential publication bias, and sensitivity analysis suggested the stability of the pooling results. In summary, the T/T genotype of MGMT rs12917 is likely to be linked to an enhanced susceptibility to cancer overall, especially glioma, in the Caucasian population.