Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33710764›Full record

ArticleThoracic cancer2021

A retrospective analysis of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab monotherapy for advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

Taisuke Isono, Naho Kagiyama, Shun Shibata, Hitomi Nakajima, Yuma Matsui, Kenji Takano, Takashi Nishida, Chiaki Hosoda, Eriko Kawate, Yoichi Kobayashi and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Thoracic cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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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

15 authors.

Taisuke IsonoDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-2803-8049
Naho KagiyamaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Shun ShibataDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Hitomi NakajimaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Yuma MatsuiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Kenji TakanoDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Takashi NishidaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Chiaki HosodaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Eriko KawateDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Yoichi KobayashiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Takashi IshiguroDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Yotaro TakakuDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Kazuyoshi KurashimaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Tsutomu YanagisawaDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.
Noboru TakayanagiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, Saitama, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough clinical trials have investigated the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer, none have investigated the addition of chemotherapy to pembrolizumab.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective study of 71 NSCLC patients including 33 treated with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (combination therapy group) and 38 treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy (monotherapy group) from 1 May 2016 to 31 August 2020.

resultsEleven of 33 (33.3%) patients in the combination therapy group and 37 of 38 (97.4%) patients in the monotherapy group had programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50%. Objective response rate (ORR) and median overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between the combination therapy group and monotherapy group (54.5% vs. 47.4, p = 0.637 and 16.6 vs. 27.0 months, p = 0.463). In patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50%, ORR and median OS were not different between the combination therapy group and the monotherapy group (63.6% vs. 48.6%, p = 0.499 and not reached vs. 27.0 months, p = 0.976). Thirty-three (100%) patients experienced adverse events (AEs) in the combination therapy group and 32 (84.2%) in the monotherapy group. Treatment discontinuation at 1 year due to AEs occurred more frequently in the combination therapy group (45.2%) than in the monotherapy group (21.1%).

conclusionThere was no significant difference in ORR and OS between the two groups, and treatment discontinuation was more frequent in the combination group. A randomized controlled trial is needed to evaluate the addition of chemotherapy to pembrolizumab for first-line treatment in patients with PD-L1 TPS ≥50%.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungDrug TherapyFemaleHumansLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSurvival AnalysisAntibodies, Monoclonal, Humanizedpembrolizumabadverse eventcombination therapyimmune checkpoint inhibitoroverall survivaltreatment discontinuation

Identifiers

PMID33710764
PMCPMC8088931

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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.