The aim of this network meta-analysis was to clarify the efficacy and safety of different immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant phase for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with standard therapy (ST) have emerged as a novel treatment strategy for recurrent or advanced cervical cancer (r/a CC). However, the available data from phase 3 clinical trials have yielded mixed results. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of adding ICIs to ST in the treatment of r/a CC.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains a significant challenge due to its heterogeneity and resistance to therapy. Regorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, can inhibit tumor progression through multiple mechanisms, thereby improving patient prognosis. It has emerged as a potential treatment option for mCRC patients who have progressed on standard therapies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Regorafenib in this patient population, synthesizing data from clinical trials to provide a comprehensive understanding of its role in mCRC treatment.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents administered as either monotherapy or combination with verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) are the 2 dominant treatment for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV); however, controversies remain due to small sample sizes and inconsistency in prognosis from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In accordance with the PRISMA statement, we investigated the efficacy of PDT plus anti-VEGF combination with anti-VEGF monotherapy. This study was accepted by the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023471362). Studies published up to July, 2024, were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. A total of 7 RCTs with 926 eyes were reviewed. In 6 trials, combination therapy showed significantly higher rate of complete polyp regression (risk ratio [RR]: 1.56, 95 % CI: 1.15-2.13, p = 0.005). In 5 trials, combination therapy also significantly reduced the number of anti-VEGF injections (SMD: -0.65, 95 % CI: -0.95 to -0.35, p < 0.0001). For best corrected visual acuity improvement, central retinal thickness reduction, and rate of ocular adverse events, the performance of the 2 modalities were comparable. We conclude that PDT plus anti-VEGF combination therapy constitutes a safe and effective modality and should be considered the first-line treatment for PCV.

The belzutifan is a hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor for the treatment of advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) and has exhibited good safety and efficacy in clinical trials. We conducted a meta-analysis of relevant studies to further clarify the efficacy and safety of belzutifan for the treatment of mccRCC.

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains a significant cause of mortality despite advancements in treatments. Fruquintinib, a potent VEGFR inhibitor, has shown promise as an advanced therapy for mCRC. This review evaluates the efficacy and safety of fruquintinib compared to placebo in patients with refractory mCRC, focusing on Phase II and III trials.

While in theory antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) deliver high-dose chemotherapy directly to target cells, numerous side effects are observed in clinical practice. We sought to determine the effect of linker design (cleavable versus non-cleavable), drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), and free payload concentration on systemic toxicity. Two systematic reviews were performed via PubMed search of clinical trials published between January 1998-July 2022. Eligible studies: (1) clinical trial for cancer therapy in adults, (2) ≥ 1 study arm included a single-agent ADC, (3) ADC used was commercially available/FDA-approved. Data was extracted and pooled using generalized linear mixed effects logistic models. 40 clinical trials involving 7,879 patients from 11 ADCs, including 9 ADCs with cleavable linkers (N = 2,985) and 2 with non-cleavable linkers (N = 4,894), were included. Significantly more composite adverse events (AEs) ≥ grade 3 occurred in patients in the cleavable linkers arm (47%) compared with the non-cleavable arm (34%). When adjusted for DAR, for grade ≥ 3 toxicities, non-cleavable linkers remained independently associated with lower toxicity for any AE (p = 0.002). Higher DAR was significantly associated with higher probability of grade ≥ 3 toxicity for any AE. There was also a significant interaction between cleavability status and DAR for any AE (p = 0.002). Finally, higher measured systemic free payload concentrations were significantly associated with higher DARs (p = 0.043). Our results support the hypothesis that ADCs with cleavable linkers result in premature payload release, leading to increased systemic free payload concentrations and associated toxicities. This may help to inform future ADC design and rational clinical application.

evaluation of clinical outcomes of patients with retinoblastoma treated with intravitreal chemotherapy (IvitC).

PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors have emerged as promising therapies for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), but their efficacy and safety profiles require further evaluation. This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in this patient population.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The impact of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on patients taking capecitabine, an oral fluoropyrimidine, remains uncertain, despite their use by 20 to 55% of cancer patients. We investigated how PPIs affect the effectiveness of capecitabine in treating colorectal cancer.

Whether pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy in metastatic cancer remains controversial. The study aims to give the effectiveness and safety of pembrolizumab-related interventions compared to chemotherapy in metastatic cancer.

The combinations of BRAF inhibitor-based targeted therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors currently represent less common therapeutic approaches in advanced melanoma. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of currently available melanoma treatments by conducting a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Four databases were systematically searched for randomized clinical studies that included patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma receiving chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy, or combinations thereof. The primary endpoints were treatment-related adverse events (TRAE), serious adverse events (SAE) of grade ≥ 3 adverse events, therapy discontinuation, progression-free survival (PFS), as well as objective response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR). A total of 63 articles were eligible for our systematic review; 59 of them were included in the statistical analysis. A separate subgroup analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy outcomes, specifically in BRAF-positive patients. Triple combination therapy or triple therapy (inhibiting BRAF, MEK and PD1/PDL1 axis) showed significantly longer progression-free survival compared to BRAF + MEK combination therapies (HR = 0.76; 95% CI 0.64-0.9), but similar objective and complete response rates in BRAF-mutated melanoma. This safety analysis suggests that triple therapy is not inferior to combined immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and BRAF/MEK therapies in terms of serious adverse events and therapy discontinuation rates. However, monotherapies and BRAF/MEK combinations showed notable advantage over triple therapy in terms of treatment-related adverse events. Combination strategies including BRAF/MEK-targeted therapies with ICI therapies are effective first-line options for advanced, BRAF-mutant melanoma; however, they are associated with more frequent side effects. Therefore, future RCTs are required to evaluate and identify high-risk subpopulations where triple therapy therapies should be considered.

Studies conducted in the last few years have suggested a connection between clinical outcomes and the time of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) infusion. However, few data are available regarding the differences between early and late time-of-day (ToD) administration in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients receiving immunotherapy and immune-based combinations. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to fully investigate the influence of timing of administration on the efficacy of mRCC immunotherapy, by comparing early ToD versus late ToD dosing in this setting. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). Overall Survival (OS) was measured as Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Our search resulted in the identification of 1429 potentially relevant reports, which were subsequently restricted to four following independent evaluation of three authors. The pooled HR for OS in RCC patients receiving early ToD versus late ToD dosing was 0.62 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.50-0.72; p < 0.001). According to our findings, a statistically significant improvement in terms of OS for mRCC patients receiving early ToD administration compared with late ToD dosing was observed, with a reduction of death by 38%. Well-designed, randomized clinical and translational trials are required to clarify this issue and to establish recommendations for personalized treatments according to ToD.

Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination immunotherapy has become a standard treatment option for certain cancers. However, the benefits of combination therapy compared to nivolumab monotherapy in lung cancer patients are not entirely clear. We aimed to evaluate whether nivolumab plus ipilimumab improves clinical outcomes in lung cancer patients compared to nivolumab monotherapy.

Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of sight loss in people with diabetes. The most severe form, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, carries a high risk of vision loss, vitreous haemorrhage, macular oedema and other harms. Panretinal photocoagulation is the primary treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs are used to treat various eye conditions and may be beneficial for people with diabetic retinopathy.

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the risk of cardiac toxicity in patients undergoing approved PD-1 (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, cemiplimab, dostarlimab), PD-L1 (atezolizumab, avelumab, durvalumab), and CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) inhibitors.

This review analyzed existing literature regarding the relationship between different diets and chemotherapy toxicities, as well as the quality of life (QOL) among patients undergoing treatment. It aims to identify the most advantageous diet for cancer patients. PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase were used to select randomized control trials (RCTs) assessing the relationship between a specific diet and chemotherapy toxicities and/or QOL in patients as of October 2023. Out of 1,419 records, 11 RCTs were included. Analyses were stratified by diet type. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from the random-effect model using STATA. We included 7 studies testing fasting variations; 1 testing a ketogenic diet; 1 testing a Mediterranean diet; 1 testing a plant-based, high-protein diet; and 1 testing an anti-inflammatory diet. Four fasting studies were in the meta-analysis. The random-effects meta-analysis showed no significant difference in the incidence of chemotherapy toxicities between fasting and non-fasting patients. There is insufficient evidence to determine which dietary intervention is the most advantageous, however, there is evidence that all the diets examined may complement conventional cancer therapy by helping to reduce chemotherapy toxicities. No intervention can be ruled out. More research is needed in this field.

For advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), sorafenib remains the established therapy. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus antiangiogenic drugs (PIAD) as a new therapeutic approach for advanced HCC is still a subject of clinical debate regarding whether they offer improved treatment outcomes. This study was conducted to compare the two treatments in terms of antitumor efficacy and safety.

To compare face-masking protocols for post-intravitreal injection endophthalmitis (PIE) prophylaxis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are first-line treatment for melanoma. The incidence of musculoskeletal immune-related adverse events (MSK irAEs) remains unclear.