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Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy May 2024The effect of age, sex, and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (ECOG PS) on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy among... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The effect of age, sex, and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The effect of age, sex, and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (ECOG PS) on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains elusive. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether such effects exist.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were retrieved.
RESULTS
One-hundred-and-eleven studies involving 14,768 HCC patients were included. The findings indicated that the ECOG PS didn't have a significant effect on the ORR and PFS in ICI-treated HCC patients (higher ECOG PS vs. lower ECOG PS: ORR: = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.55-1.10; PFS: = 1.15, 95%CI = 0.97-1.35), while those patients with a higher ECOG PS may have a worse OS ( = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.26-1.84). There is no significant evidence of the effect of age (older vs. younger) or sex (males vs. females) on the efficacy of ICI therapy in HCC.
CONCLUSION
ICI therapy in HCC should not be restricted strictly to certain patients in age or sex categories, while HCC patients with higher ECOG PS may require closer medication or follow-up strategy during ICI therapy.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
CRD42024518407.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors; Age Factors; Sex Factors; Male; Female; Progression-Free Survival
PubMed: 38623811
DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2024.2341723 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Recently, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy offers promising results for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC).... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Recently, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy offers promising results for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). However, patients show highly heterogeneous responses to treatment, and predictive biomarkers are lacking. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the potential of PD-L1 expression as a biomarker for treatment response and survival in patients with BTC undergoing anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy.
METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive systematic literature search through June 2023, utilizing the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. The outcomes of interest included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) according to PD-L1 expression. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to identify possible sources of heterogeneity.
RESULTS
A total of 30 studies was included in the final analysis. Pooled analysis showed no significant differences in ORR (odds ratio [OR], 1.56; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.94-2.56) and DCR (OR, 1.84; 95% CIs, 0.88-3.82) between PD-L1 (+) and PD-L1 (-) patients. In contrast, survival analysis showed improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54, 95% CIs, 0.41-0.71) and OS (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.47-0.72) among PD-L1 (+) patients compared to PD-L1 (-) patients. Sensitivity analysis excluding retrospective studies showed no significant differences with the primary results. Furthermore, meta-regression demonstrated that drug target (PD-1 PD-L1), presence of additional intervention (monotherapy combination therapy), and PD-L1 cut-off level (1% ≥5%) significantly affected the predictive value of PD-L1 expression.
CONCLUSION
PD-L1 expression might be a helpful biomarker for predicting PFS and OS in patients with BTC undergoing anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. The predictive value of PD-L1 expression can be significantly influenced by diagnostic or treatment variables.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023434114.
Topics: Humans; B7-H1 Antigen; Biliary Tract Neoplasms; Ligands; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
PubMed: 38605964
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1321813 -
European Journal of Surgical Oncology :... Jun 2024Mutations in the BRAF gene (BRAFmut) are associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this meta-analysis was... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Mutations in the BRAF gene (BRAFmut) are associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with liver metastases and the potential benefits of liver resection in patients with BRAFmut CRC.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Central Controlled Trials, and Embase databases was conducted on May 31, 2023. The inclusion criteria were as follows:1) reporting of outcomes in patients with BRAFmut CRC who underwent surgery for liver metastases and/or comparison of outcomes between those who underwent and those who did not undergo resection; 2) reporting of survival information as hazard ratios (HR); and 3) publication in English.
RESULTS
34 studies were included. Median follow up was 48 months for prognostic BRAF status meta-analysis. BRAFmut status showed a significantly increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.04-3.22; P < 0.01) and relapse (HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.44-2.71; P < 0.01). Resection of liver metastases was associated with a survival benefit (median follow up 46 months). The HR for survival was 0.44 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.59; P < 0.01) in favor of surgery.
CONCLUSIONS
and Relevance: Our analysis indeed confirms that BRAF mutation is associated with poor survival outcomes after liver resection of CRC metastases. However, upon quantitatively assessing the survival benefit of surgical intervention in patients with BRAF-mutated CRC liver metastases, we identified a significant 56% reduction in the risk of death.
Topics: Humans; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Colorectal Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Mutation; Hepatectomy; Prognosis; Survival Rate
PubMed: 38603866
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2024.108306 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Mar 2024Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are highly effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with a significant rate of sustained virologic response (SVR). The... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are highly effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with a significant rate of sustained virologic response (SVR). The achievement of SVR is crucial to prevent additional liver damage and slow down fibrosis progression. The assessment of fibrosis degree can be performed with transient elastography, magnetic resonance elastography or shear-wave elastography (SWE). Liver elastography could function as a predictor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in CHC patients treated with DAAs.
AIM
To explore the predictive value of SWE for HCC development after complete clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV).
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of clinical studies was performed to identify the ability of SWE to predict HCC occurrence after HCV clearance. In accordance with the study protocol, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the evidence was planned.
RESULTS
At baseline and after 12 wk of follow-up, a trend was shown towards greater liver stiffness (LS) in those who go on to develop HCC compared to those who do not [baseline LS standardized mean difference (SMD): 1.15, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 020-2.50; LS SMD after 12 wk: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.33-1.98]. The absence of a statistically significant difference between the mean LS in those who developed HCC or not may be related to the inability to correct for confounding factors and the absence of raw source data. There was a statistically significant LS SMD at 24 wk of follow-up between patients who developed HCC not (0.64; 95%CI: 0.04-1.24).
CONCLUSION
SWE could be a promising tool for prediction of HCC occurrence in patients treated with DAAs. Further studies with larger cohorts and standardized timing of elastographic evaluation are needed to confirm these data.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Hepacivirus; Elasticity Imaging Techniques; Antiviral Agents; Hepatitis C, Chronic; Sustained Virologic Response; Fibrosis; Liver Cirrhosis; Hepatitis C
PubMed: 38596502
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i10.1450 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Mar 2024The optimal management of duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasms (dNENs) sized 10-20 mm remains controversial and although endoscopic resection is increasingly performed... (Review)
Review
The optimal management of duodenal neuroendocrine neoplasms (dNENs) sized 10-20 mm remains controversial and although endoscopic resection is increasingly performed instead of surgery, the therapeutic approach in this setting is not fully standardized. We performed a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis to clarify the outcomes of endoscopic resection for 10-20 mm dNENs in terms of efficacy (i.e., recurrence rate) and safety. A computerized literature search was performed using relevant keywords to identify pertinent articles published until January 2023. Seven retrospective studies were included in this systematic review. The overall recurrence rate was 14.6% (95%CI 5.4-27.4) in 65 patients analyzed, without significant heterogeneity. When considering studies specifically focused on endoscopic mucosal resection, the recurrence rate was 20.5% (95%CI 10.7-32.4), without significant heterogeneity. The ability to obtain the free margin after endoscopic resection ranged between 36% and 100%. No complications were observed in the four studies reporting this information. Endoscopic resection could be the first treatment option in patients with dNENs sized 10-20 mm and without evidence of metastatic disease. Further studies are needed to draw more solid conclusions, particularly in terms of superiority among the available endoscopic techniques.
PubMed: 38592317
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13051466 -
BMC Cancer Apr 2024Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common malignancy with the liver being the most common site of metastases. The recurrence rate of colorectal liver metastases... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common malignancy with the liver being the most common site of metastases. The recurrence rate of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) after liver resection (LR) is notably high, with an estimated 40% of patients experiencing recurrence within 6 months. In this context, we conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize and evaluate the reliability of evidence pertaining to prognostic factors associated with early recurrence (ER) in CRLM following LR.
METHODS
Systematic searches were conducted from the inception of databases to July 14, 2023, to identify studies reporting prognostic factors associated with ER. The Quality in Prognostic Factor Studies (QUIPS) tool was employed to assess risk-of-bias for included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed on these prognostic factors, summarized by forest plots. The grading of evidence was based on sample size, heterogeneity, and Egger's P value.
RESULTS
The study included 24 investigations, comprising 12705 individuals, during an accrual period that extended from 2007 to 2023. In the evaluation of risk-of-bias, 22 studies were rated as low/moderate risk, while two studies were excluded because of high risk. Most of the studies used a postoperative interval of 6 months to define ER, with 30.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.1-36.4%) of the patients experiencing ER following LR. 21 studies were pooled for meta-analysis. High-quality evidence showed that poor differentiation of CRC, larger and bilobar-distributed liver metastases, major hepatectomy, positive surgical margins, and postoperative complications were associated with an elevated risk of ER. Additionally, moderate-quality evidence suggested that elevated levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA199), lymph node metastases (LNM) of CRC, and a higher number of liver metastases were risk factors for ER.
CONCLUSION
This review has the potential to enhance the efficacy of surveillance strategies, refine prognostic assessments, and guide judicious treatment decisions for CRLM patients with high risk of ER. Additionally, it is essential to undertake well-designed prospective investigations to examine additional prognostic factors and develop salvage therapeutic approaches for ER of CRLM.
Topics: Humans; Hepatectomy; Prognosis; Colorectal Neoplasms; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Liver Neoplasms; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 38584263
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12162-4 -
HPB : the Official Journal of the... Jun 2024This meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of routine lymph node dissection (LND) with liver resection on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
This meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the therapeutic effects of routine lymph node dissection (LND) with liver resection on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).
METHODS
Databases, including MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, were searched to identify studies comparing LND and non-LND for ICC liver resection. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and secondary outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS), in-hospital morbidity, blood loss, and R0 rate.
RESULTS
Seventeen studies involving 4407 patients were included. The OS did not differ between the LND (n = 2158) and non-LND (n = 2249) groups (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.83-1.32). The secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. Subgroup analyses stratified by the risk of bias showed a significant difference in OS between the high- and low-risk groups (P = 0.0008). In the low-risk group, LND (vs. non-LND) was associated with superior OS (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59-0.98). Most studies in low-risk groups involved patients who were clinically node-negative.
CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic effects of routine LND for ICC have not been demonstrated. However, LND had a positive impact on OS in studies with a low risk of bias, thus suggesting that there may be a subset of ICC patients who would benefit from LND.
Topics: Humans; Cholangiocarcinoma; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Lymph Node Excision; Hepatectomy; Risk Factors; Lymphatic Metastasis; Disease-Free Survival; Treatment Outcome; Female; Male; Time Factors; Middle Aged; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 38580611
DOI: 10.1016/j.hpb.2024.03.1163 -
BMJ Open Apr 2024To assess and compare the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI) and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for evaluating the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Diagnostic values of contrast-enhanced MRI and contrast-enhanced CT for evaluating the response of hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolisation: a meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVES
To assess and compare the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI) and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for evaluating the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE).
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang databases were systematically searched from inception to 1 August 2023.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Studies with any outcome that demonstrates the diagnostic performance of CEMRI and CECT for HCC after TACE were included.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two authors independently extracted the data and assessed the quality of included studies. Study quality was assessed using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. The diagnostic performance of CEMRI and CECT for the response of HCC was investigated by collecting true and false positives, true and false negatives, or transformed-derived data from each study to calculate specificity and sensitivity. Other outcomes are the positive likelihood ratio/negative likelihood ratio (NLR), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for diagnostic tests and the diagnostic OR (DOR). Findings were summarised and synthesised qualitatively according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
RESULTS
This study included 5843 HCC patients diagnosed with CEMRI or CECT and treated with TACE from 36 studies. The mean proportion of men in the total sample was 76.3%. The pool sensitivity, specificity and AUC of CEMRI in diagnosing HCC after TACE were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.96), 0.94 (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.98) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96 to 0.99). The pool sensitivity, specificity and AUC of CECT in diagnosing HCC after TACE were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68 to 0.80), 0.98 (95% CI: 0.93 to 1.00) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.88 to 0.93).
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, this study found that both CEMRI and CECT had relatively high predictive power for assessing the response of HCC after TACE. Furthermore, the diagnostic value of CEMRI may be superior to CECT in terms of sensitivity, AUC, DOR and NLR.
Topics: Male; Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Contrast Media; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 38580362
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070364 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Mar 2024As a critical early event in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, telomerase activation might be a promising and critical biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)...
BACKGROUND
As a critical early event in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, telomerase activation might be a promising and critical biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and its function in the genesis and treatment of HCC has gained much attention over the past two decades.
AIM
To perform a bibliometric analysis to systematically assess the current state of research on HCC-related telomerase.
METHODS
The Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed were systematically searched to retrieve publications pertaining to HCC/telomerase limited to "articles" and "reviews" published in English. A total of 873 relevant publications related to HCC and telomerase were identified. We employed the Bibliometrix package in R to extract and analyze the fundamental information of the publications, such as the trends in the publications, citation counts, most prolific or influential writers, and most popular journals; to screen for keywords occurring at high frequency; and to draw collaboration and cluster analysis charts on the basis of coauthorship and co-occurrences. VOSviewer was utilized to compile and visualize the bibliometric data.
RESULTS
A surge of 51 publications on HCC/telomerase research occurred in 2016, the most productive year from 1996 to 2023, accompanied by the peak citation count recorded in 2016. Up to December 2023, 35226 citations were made to all publications, an average of 46.6 citations to each paper. The United States received the most citations ( = 13531), followed by China ( = 7427) and Japan ( = 5754). In terms of national cooperation, China presented the highest centrality, its strongest bonds being to the United States and Japan. Among the 20 academic institutions with the most publications, ten came from China and the rest of Asia, though the University of Paris Cité, Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris, and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) were the most prolific. As for individual contributions, Hisatomi H, Kaneko S, and Ide T were the three most prolific authors. Kaneko S ranked first by H-index, G-index, and overall publication count, while Zucman-Rossi J ranked first in citation count. The five most popular journals were the , , , , and , while , , and had the most citations. We extracted 2293 keywords from the publications, 120 of which appeared more than ten times. The most frequent were HCC, telomerase and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Keywords such as mutational landscape, TERT promoter mutations, landscape, risk, and prognosis were among the most common issues in this field in the last three years and may be topics for research in the coming years.
CONCLUSION
Our bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of HCC/telomerase research and insights into promising upcoming research.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Telomerase; Oncogenes; Bibliometrics
PubMed: 38577190
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i9.1224 -
Medical Science Monitor : International... Apr 2024Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare but potentially dangerous condition that occurs when an embryo implants and develops within the scar tissue from a previous...
Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare but potentially dangerous condition that occurs when an embryo implants and develops within the scar tissue from a previous cesarean section. Treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy depends on several factors, including the gestational age of the pregnancy, the presence of complications, and the individual patient's circumstances. We performed a systematic review of the published literature on management of cesarean scar pregnancy and the outcomes, complications, and effects on fertility. A systematic review of recent scientific literature published up to April 2023 in the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. We used the search keywords "cesarean scar pregnancy," "methotrexate," "systemic," "chemoembolization," and "uterine artery embolization." The baseline search resulted in 413 articles. After the exclusion of 342 irrelevant articles, the abstracts and titles of the remaining 71 articles were read for potential inclusion, resulting in exclusion of a further 16 articles. Therefore, the full texts of 55 articles were investigated. Finally, 42 papers were included in the study. The main finding was that chemoembolization is more successful than systemic methotrexate therapy, and is associated with less blood loss and shorter hospital stay. Transarterial chemoembolization appears to be safe and effective method of treatment in patients with CSP and should thus be considered during multidisciplinary evaluation of these patients.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Methotrexate; Cicatrix; Fertility Preservation; Cesarean Section; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; Liver Neoplasms; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38566372
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.943550