Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33869060›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2021

Efficacy of First Line Systemic Chemotherapy and Multikinase Inhibitors in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Songporn Oranratnachai, Sasivimol Rattanasiri, Anantaporn Pooprasert, Amarit Tansawet, Thanyanan Reungwetwattana, John Attia, Ammarin Thakkinstian

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Relationships Among Serological Indicators andCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. [Liver cancer treatment with mitochondrial homeostasis].Zhonghua gan zang bing za zhi = Zhonghua ganzangbing zazhi = Chinese journal of hepatology · 2024
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
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

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Songporn OranratnachaiDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sasivimol RattanasiriDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Anantaporn PooprasertOncology Unit, Division of Internal Medicine, Uttaradit Hospital, Uttaradit, Thailand.
Amarit TansawetDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Thanyanan ReungwetwattanaDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
John AttiaCentre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, New Lambton, NSW, Australia.
Ammarin ThakkinstianDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Mahidol University · THHunter Medical Research Institute · AURamathibodi Hospital · THUttaradit Rajabhat University · TH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most fatal cancer, with a 5-year survival rate of 18%. Standard frontline-therapy is multikinase inhibitors (MKIs), but accessibility is still limited, particularly in developing countries. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare the efficacy of usual chemotherapy vs MKIs.

methodRandomised-controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any among chemotherapy vs MKIs in treatment-naïve patients with advanced HCCs were identified from MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) probabilities and times were extracted from Kaplan-Meier curves using Digitizer, and then converted to individual patient time-to-event data. A one-stage mixed-effect survival model was applied to estimate median OS and PFS. A two-stage NMA was applied for the overall response rate and adverse events (AEs) outcome.

resultsA total of 20 RCTs were eligible for NMA. Lenvatinib was the best treatment among single MKIs, with median OS and PFS of 9 and 6.3 months, without significant differences in AEs relative to other MKIs. Median OS and PFS were 0.70 (-0.42, 1.83) and 2.17 (1.41, 2.93) months longer with Lenvatinib than Sorafenib. Among chemotherapy agents, FOLFOX4 had the longest median OS and PFS at 7.9 and 4.3 months, respectively, without significant AEs compared to other chemotherapies. The combination of Sorafenib+Doxorubicin prolonged median OS and PFS to 12.7 and 6.3 months, respectively.

conclusionUse of the MKIs Lenvatinib or Sorafenib as first line systemic treatment for advanced HCC could be beneficial. However, FOLFOX4 might be the optimal choice in a developing country where the health-care budget is limited.

Indexed as

chemotherapyfirst-line systemic treatmenthepatocellular carcinomamultikinase inhibitorsnetwork meta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID33869060
PMCPMC8044881
OpenAlexW3142440601

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.