Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39046681›Full record

ArticleClinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico2025

The influence of PD-L1 expression levels on the efficacy of combination therapy in thymic epithelial tumors.

Han Si, Xiaoshuang Fu, Yue Hao, Yina Wang, Gen Lin, Dong Wang, Chunwei Xu, Yongchang Zhang, Zhengbo Song

Erratum issuedAbstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Han Si *Postgraduate Training Base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.
Xiaoshuang Fu *Postgraduate Training Base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.
Yue Hao *Department of Clinical Trial, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1 East Banshan Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
Yina WangDepartment of Oncology, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China.
Gen LinDepartment of Medical Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital & Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, China.
Dong WangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Chunwei XuHangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
Yongchang ZhangDepartment of Medical Oncology, Lung Cancer and Gastrointestinal Unit, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
Zhengbo SongPostgraduate Training Base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China. songzb@zjcc.org.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2226-0570

Funding

the Foundation of CSCO-Shiyao Y-SY201901-0068
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe significant expression of PD-L1 in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) has been confirmed, and immunotherapy and its combination therapy have been effective in TETs. However, there is no present evidence that the expression levels of PD-L1 affects the efficacy of combination therapy. Our study aimed to shed light on this relationship.

methodsPatients with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) from multicenter hospitals were retrospectively identified. Objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in 22 patients were included. We divided the patients the 22 patients with PD-L1 test into three levels (high expression, low expression and no expression) and analyzed the relationship between the levels of PD-L1 expression and the efficacy of combination therapy.

resultsCombination therapy showed an effective benefit in 22 patients with TETs, the median PFS (mPFS) was 16 months (95% CI: 8.5-23.5) and the median OS (mOS) was 38 months (95% CI: 21.5-54.5). Cox-regressive analysis found whether PD-L1 expression affected the PFS of patients (p = 0.017). Among the patients with PD-L1 expression, the levels of expression were correlated with curative effect (Kruskal-Wallis test, PFS: P = 0.012; OS: P = 0.01), and high expression group was along with better efficacy than low expression (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.01). Moreover, in 17 patients treated with immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, the expression of PD-L1 was also associated with efficacy (Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.021).

conclusionsPD-L1 expression affects the PFS of patients. High expression of PD-L1 patients with TETs responded better to combination therapy, which could provide a therapeutic option in clinic. Besides, other targeted treatments should be considered.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsB7-H1 AntigenNeoplasms, Glandular and EpithelialThymus NeoplasmsAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansImmunotherapyMaleMiddle AgedProgression-Free SurvivalRetrospective StudiesSurvival RateB7-H1 AntigenCD274 protein, humanCombination therapyEfficacyPD-L1Targeted therapy

Identifiers

PMID39046681

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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.