Targeted therapies are promising treatment options for fit patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, there is a lack of data on their relative efficacy and safety. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the relative efficacy and safety of first-line targeted therapies (including venetoclax [VEN], obinutuzumab [OBI], ibrutinib [IBR], and other options) for physically fit patients with untreated CLL.

In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown significant efficacy in treating various malignancies and have become a key therapeutic approach in cancer treatment. However, while ICIs activate the immune system, they can also induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Due to the variability in the frequency and severity of irAEs, clinical management faces a significant challenge in balancing antitumor efficacy with the risk of irAEs. Predicting and preventing irAEs during the early stages of treatment has become a critical research focus in cancer immunotherapy. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of peripheral blood cell counts for irAEs.

Exercise can improve the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Traditional pairwise meta-analyses of exercise interventions can only identify the difference in effect between an exercise intervention and usual care. It is necessary to conduct network meta-analyses to establish evidence on the comparative effectiveness of all relevant exercise intervention strategies.

Antibody-drug conjugates are novel effective therapies for metastatic breast cancer. Nevertheless, their toxicity profile can significantly affect patients' quality of life over time.

Anthracycline-based chemotherapy, such as Doxorubicin (DOX), often induces cardiotoxicity in cancer patients, which compromises their health and quality of life.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NIT) has been endorsed by clinical guidelines for the management of DNA mismatch repair deficiency/microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Nonetheless, the therapeutic efficacy of NIT in mismatch repair-proficient/microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) non-metastatic rectal cancer (RC) remain pending matters. Therefore, a meta-analysis was carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of NIT in patients with non-metastatic pMMR/MSS RC.

IntroductionThis study aims to evaluate the effect of bevacizumab treatment on the incidence of hypertension in patients with ovarian cancer.MethodsA comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted until August 2024. We included only randomized clinical trials that compared ovarian cancer patients treated with Bevacizumab to those treated with other therapies. The primary outcome was the relative risk (RR) of developing hypertension, stratified by grade. Statistical analyses were performed using a random-effects model to account for heterogeneity between studies. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on hypertension severity (grade ≥2 and grade ≥3) and disease stage. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias assessments were also performed.ResultsA total of 11 randomized trials were included, comprising 5212 patients. The meta-analysis revealed that patients receiving Bevacizumab had a significantly higher risk of hypertension compared to controls (RR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.65-5.16, P = 0.0002). Subgroup analysis showed that the risk of grade ≥2 hypertension was 1.68 times higher (95% CI: 0.92-3.07), and grade ≥3 hypertension was 5.10 times higher (95% CI: 2.46-10.55) in the Bevacizumab group. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings, and no significant publication bias was detected.ConclusionBevacizumab treatment in ovarian cancer significantly increases the risk of hypertension, particularly severe hypertension (grade ≥3). These findings underscore the need for vigilant blood pressure monitoring and management in patients receiving Bevacizumab to mitigate cardiovascular complications and optimize treatment outcomes.

To evaluate the role of carboplatin-based chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with malignant gonadal germ cell tumors (GCTs), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials or cohort studies on gonadal GCTs between January 1, 1970 and April 26, 2023 were enrolled. The treatment failure rate and mortality rate were the primary outcomes. Subgroup analysis based on the primary tumor site and dose of carboplatin was also conducted. In total, 8 studies with 1,409 patients were included. Compared to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, carboplatin-based chemotherapy had an increased treatment failure rate (odds ratio [OR]=2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.61-3.08; p<0.001), but similar overall survival outcomes (OR=1.68; 95% CI=0.61-4.61; p=0.315). Subgroup analysis revealed that carboplatin-based chemotherapy did not increase the risk of treatment failure and death in ovarian GCT, while a higher risk of treatment failure and a similar risk of death were observed in testicular GCT. Patients treated with high-dose carboplatin calculated 400 or 600 mg/m² (area under the curve=7.9) obtained similar failure-free survival to the cisplatin group (OR=0.84; 95% CI=0.40-1.73; p=0.629). Compared to the cisplatin group, milder nausea and vomiting, nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, and more severe myelosuppression were observed in the carboplatin group. In conclusion, carboplatin-based chemotherapy achieves a comparable overall survival outcome to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in gonadal GCT patients, suggesting that carboplatin is a candidate substitute for cisplatin. The efficacy of carboplatin is dose-dependent. High-dose carboplatin can obtain better therapeutic effects with more tolerable toxicities than cisplatin.

Povidone-iodine (PI) is the gold standard for pre-intravitreal injection ocular antisepsis. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is an emerging alternative with less ocular irritation. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate post-injection endophthalmitis rates with the use of CHX compared to PI. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was performed for studies published between January 1, 2000 and February 21, 2024. Data on the number of injections and endophthalmitis cases were analyzed. A sample-size weighted mean difference (MD) meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1, p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Five studies including 230,656 injections were pooled to determine an endophthalmitis rate of 0.0003 [95 % CI, 0.0001-0.0005] with preinjection CHX antisepsis. Three studies included an additional PI branch and thus were used for secondary meta-analysis comparing CHX against PI. The analysis consisted of 185,799 injections in the CHX group and 269,441 injections in the PI group. No significant difference in the weighted relative risk of endophthalmitis with CHX was found (RR = 1.27 [95 %CI 0.50-3.22], p = 0.62). A total of 24 and 31 cases of culture-positivity were recorded in the CHX and PI groups respectively but no significant difference in weighted means was found (RR = 1.42[95 %CI 0.96-2.12], p = 0.08). This meta-analysis disclosed that the rate of post-IVI endophthalmitis while using CHX antisepsis is approximately 1 in 3937 injections, compared to 1 in 3906 with PI. CHX was not associated with a significant difference in the rate of endophthalmitis or culture-positivity compared to PI.

This study aimed to quantify the impact of chemotherapy on attention function, assessed by neuro-psychological tests and to identify the time point of impact.

The clinical efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGFs), corticosteroids, and their combined treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME) has been substantiated by numerous studies. However, it remains uncertain whether the therapeutic benefits of the combined treatment with corticosteroids and anti-VEGFs is superior to those of anti-VEGF monotherapy. Consequently, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of combined treatment with dexamethasone or triamcinolone and anti-VEGF versus anti-VEGF monotherapy in DME treatment.

PD-1 inhibitors have shown promising efficacy in enhancing OS and AEs as second-line therapies for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, there remains no clear consensus on which PD-1 inhibitor provides the best balance between efficacy and safety. To address this key issue in the second-line treatment of ESCC, we conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) with a focus on OS benefits, particularly in patients with different levels of PD-L1 expression.

Niraparib is approved as a maintenance treatment for ovarian cancer due to its potential to prolong progression-free survival. However, its widespread use is challenged by concerns about its safety profile. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the safety profile of niraparib in ovarian cancer treatment.

To evaluate the efficacy of the otoprotective transtympanic application of N-acetylcysteine in preventing chemotherapy-induced ototoxicity in patients subjected to platinum-based chemotherapy.

The clinical course and therapeutic outcomes of pediatric and adult gliomas vary. Dabrafenib plus trametinib is a new therapeutic option for the management of gliomas. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of co-administration of dabrafenib and trametinib in pediatric and adult gliomas.

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ASCT and maintenance therapy strategies for transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma from a Chinese healthcare perspective.

The utilization of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer immunotherapy frequently leads to the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), making it generally not recommended for patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis on safety and efficacy of ICIs in cancer patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases to provide further insights. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched until December 20, 2024. The main summary measures used were pooled rate and risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidential interval (CI), which were analyzed using R statistic software. A total of 52 articles were included in the study. When cancer patients with preexisting autoimmune diseases received ICIs treatment, the overall incidence was 0.610 (95% CI: 0.531-0.686) for any grade irAEs, 0.295 (95% CI: 0.248-0.343) for flares, 0.325 (95% CI: 0.258-0.396) for de novo irAEs, 0.238 (95% CI: 0.174-0.309) for grade ≥3 irAEs, and 0.143 (95% CI: 0.109-0.180) for discontinuation due to immunotoxicity. Compared with those without autoimmune diseases, cancer patients with autoimmune diseases experienced a higher risk of any-grade irAEs (RR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12-1.35) and discontinuation due to immunotoxicity (1.40, 95% CI: 1.11-1.78). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in the incidence of grade ≥3 irAEs, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) between the two groups. During ICIs treatment, irAEs are common among cancer patients with autoimmune diseases, but severe irAEs is relatively low. ICIs are effective in this population, but should be strictly monitored when used to avoid immunotoxicity.

In patients with unresectable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), durvalumab maintenance after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) was shown to improve survival over placebo. As subgroup analyses indicated better outcomes with earlier start of durvalumab, several trials evaluated concomitant checkpoint inhibition (CPI) with cCRT. However, this may introduce an increased risk of treatment-related pulmonary toxicity.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a neuroendocrine carcinoma characterized by aggressive behavior and poor prognosis with limited treatment options. Poly ADP-Ribose Polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are novel anti-cancer agents that induce DNA damages and cause cell death in tumor cells with impaired DNA repair, known as the synthetic lethality concept. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of PARPi for patients with SCLC from available clinical trial data.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) serve as crucial therapeutic agents in solid tumor treatment. Preclinical investigations suggest a potential protective function of PARPi against endocrine and metabolic impairments. Nevertheless, the existing body of evidence remains inconclusive on this aspect.