Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30629708›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2019

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compare standard doxorubicin with other first-line chemotherapies for advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcomas.

Kazuhiro Tanaka, Masanori Kawano, Tatsuya Iwasaki, Ichiro Itonaga, Hiroshi Tsumura

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Phase Ib/II Randomized Study of RO4929097, a Gamma-Secretase or Notch Inhibitor with or without Vismodegib, a Hedgehog Inhibitor, in Advanced Sarcoma.Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2022
    Trial
  2. How I treat soft tissue sarcomas.Future oncology (London, England) · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. A case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the descending colon.Clinical journal of gastroenterology · 2023
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Mesenteric Myxofibrosarcoma: A Case Report.Journal of the anus, rectum and colon · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Kazuhiro TanakaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu City, Oita, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-5138-8952
Masanori KawanoDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu City, Oita, Japan.
Tatsuya IwasakiDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu City, Oita, Japan.
Ichiro ItonagaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu City, Oita, Japan.
Hiroshi TsumuraDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu City, Oita, Japan.
Oita University · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe standard treatment for patients with advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (ASTS) is systemic chemotherapy with doxorubicin. A previous meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated the superiority of single-agent doxorubicin over doxorubicin-based combination chemotherapy for ASTS. However, meta-analyses of all RCTs that compare doxorubicin to other single-agent or combination regimens as first-line treatments for ASTS are lacking. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of current primary treatments for ASTS.

methodsEligible studies were RCTs of first-line chemotherapies for ASTS comparing doxorubicin alone to other single agents or to combination therapies (experimental arm). Data from studies reporting hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were pooled. Other time-to-event endpoints were extracted from the studies based on Kaplan-Meier estimates, and pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated.

resultsTwenty-seven eligible RCTs comprising 6156 patients were identified. Overall, the 1-year OS (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99, P = 0.03) was significantly improved in the experimental arm over the doxorubicin-only arm; however, there was no significant difference in 2-year OS (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.73-1.03, P = 0.11) or OS (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.91-1.03, P = 0.28) between the two groups. PFS and other time-to-event endpoints were not significantly different between the two treatment arms. While incidences of overall severe adverse events were not significantly different (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.88-1.65, P = 0.26), severe nausea/vomiting was significantly more frequent in the experimental arm (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.27-2.83, P = 0.002).

conclusionThe efficacies of doxorubicin-only and experimental arm regimens were similar, although toxicities were more frequent in the experimental arms. Hence, doxorubicin monotherapy remains suitable as a standard first-line regimen for ASTS.

Indexed as

Antibiotics, AntineoplasticCombined Modality TherapyDoxorubicinHumansNeoplasms, Second PrimaryRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSarcomaAntibiotics, AntineoplasticDoxorubicin

Identifiers

PMID30629708
PMCPMC6328231
OpenAlexW2909803018

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.