Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34745950›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2021

Survival of Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Therapy Compared With Surgery Alone for Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systemic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Zeliang Ma, Meng Yuan, Yongxing Bao, Yang Wang, Yu Men, Zhouguang Hui

Abstract 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 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. 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

6 authors.

Zeliang MaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Meng YuanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Yongxing BaoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Yang WangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Yu MenDepartment of VIP Medical Services, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Zhouguang HuiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe optimal treatment for resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial. Surgery is the primary treatment but with poor results. Attempts to improve patient survival have been made by introducing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both. However, randomized comparisons for all these strategies are not always available. This network meta-analysis compared the overall survival of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy with surgery alone to identify the most effective approach.

methodsWe systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for relevant studies published before April 2021. Only phase II and III randomized controlled trials comparing the following treatments were included: surgery alone, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT), radiotherapy (NRT) or chemoradiotherapy (NCRT), adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), radiotherapy (ART), or chemoradiotherapy (ACRT). The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of overall survival (OS) was identified as the measurement of effectiveness. A network meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the evidence under the Bayesian framework, and the relative effects of all possible comparisons were made. The ranking analysis was performed to support the decision in clinical practice.

resultsA total of 19 relevant trials with 3,749 patients were identified. Compared with surgery alone, NCRT (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.89) and NCT (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.70-0.94) significantly improved OS, while other treatments, including NRT (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.66-1.08), ACRT (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.49-1.08), ACT (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.75-1.21), and ART (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.66-1.14), provided no significant survival advantage. None of the neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments showed a statistically significant difference in OS to each other when compared in pairs.

conclusionFor resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, this network meta-analysis showed that NCRT may be the optimal strategy, NCT may be the second choice, while other multimodality treatments could not improve OS compared with surgery alone. It remains unclear whether ESCC will benefit from adding radiotherapy into the neoadjuvant treatment. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: We registered this meta-analysis protocol at the prospective register of systematic reviews, PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=172745 (Identification code: CRD42020172745).

Indexed as

esophageal squamous cell carcinomanetwork meta-analysissurvivalsystemic reviewtreatment

Identifiers

PMID34745950
PMCPMC8564474

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.