Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35243025›Full record

ReviewClinical and translational radiation oncology2022

The overall survival impact of prophylactic cranial irradiation in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mathijs L Tomassen, Jacquelien Pomp, Janneke van der Stap, Anne S R van Lindert, Max Peters, José S A Belderbos, Dirk K M De Ruysscher, Steven H Lin, Joost J C Verhoeff, Peter S N van Rossum

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical and translational radiation oncology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 16% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Hippocampal Avoidance During Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation for Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer: Randomized Phase II/III Trial NRG-CC003.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2025
    Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Progress in radiotherapy for small-cell lung cancer.Precision radiation oncology · 2023
    Review
  10. 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

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Mathijs L TomassenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Jacquelien PompDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Janneke van der StapDepartment of Pulmonology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Anne S R van LindertDepartment of Pulmonology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Max PetersDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
José S A BelderbosDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Dirk K M De RuysscherDepartment of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Steven H LinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston (TX), United States of America.
Joost J C VerhoeffDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Peter S N van RossumDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
University Medical Center Utrecht · NLMaastro Clinic · NLThe Netherlands Cancer Institute · NLThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProphylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) patients has become more controversial. Since the publication of the systematic review by Aupérin et al. in 1999, no randomized controlled trials regarding PCI in LS-SCLC have been completed. The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of PCI on overall survival (OS) in patients with LS-SCLC.

methodsA systematic search was conducted in the databases of MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase and the Cochrane library. Only studies that reported an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), indicating the effect of PCI versus no PCI on OS (adjusted for confounders) in patients with LS-SCLC were included for critical appraisal and meta-analysis. A pooled aHR estimate was calculated using a random-effects model.

resultsPooling of 28 retrospective studies including a total of 18,575 patients demonstrated a significant beneficial effect of PCI versus no PCI on OS with a pooled aHR of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.57-0.69). Substantial heterogeneity of reported aHRs among studies was observed (I

conclusionsThis meta-analysis demonstrates a significant beneficial effect of PCI on OS in patients with LS-SCLC. Larger studies reported a milder beneficial effect, possibly due to a decreased risk of model overfitting. Serious risk of selection and confounding bias were of concern due to the lack of prospective trials. These results support the role of PCI in standard clinical practice in patients with LS-SCLC while awaiting results of prospective trials on alternative strategies.

Identifiers

PMID35243025
PMCPMC8881197
OpenAlexW4213368426

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.