KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of 1L ICI plus chemotherapy in advanced G/GEJ cancer.
- Researchers noticed that ICI plus chemotherapy improves OS, PFS, and ORR without increasing TRAE risk.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) plus chemotherapy is effective in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer.
Lianghui Zhang and the team aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of first-line (1L) immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy for advanced G/GEJ cancer.
They performed an inclusive analysis by systematically searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane databases from the inception of the databases to December 2021. Randomized trials comparing ICI plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy in 1L treatment for patients with advanced G/GEJ cancer were included.
The outcomes measured were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs). Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata 14.0 software. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42022300907.
About 5 trials were included for analysis, involving 2,814 patients. ICI plus chemotherapy significantly improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% CI 0.78-0.94; P = .002), PFS (HR, 0.79; 95% CI 0.63-0.99; P < .001), and ORR (relative ratio [RR], 1.20; 95% CI 1.11-1.30; P < .001).
Safety analyses showed no significant differences in the incidence of all AEs, treatment-related adverse events (TRAE), TRAE of grade 3 or higher, serious TRAE, and TRAE leading to death between the two arms (P > .05).
The study concluded that ICI plus chemotherapy is a more effective 1L treatment for advanced G/GEJ cancer compared to chemotherapy alone, in terms of improving OS, PFS, and ORR, without increasing the risk of TRAE. This finding will redefine the role of ICI in combination with chemotherapy in the 1L setting for G/GEJ cancer and provide valuable references for clinical treatment.
This study was funded by the Research Project of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39110075/
Zhang L, Huang L, Liu Z, et al. (2024). “Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Plus Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2024 Jan-Dec;23:15330338241273286. doi: 10.1177/15330338241273286. PMID: 39110075.
