Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39791941›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2025

Concomitant Usage of H1-Antihistamines and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors on Cancer Patient Survival.

Yin Leung, Terry Cheuk-Fung Yip, Grace Lai-Hung Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Vicki Wing-Ki Hui, Tony Shu-Kam Mok, Henry Lik-Yuen Chan, Stephen Lam Chan, Rashid Nok-Shun Lui

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. 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

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

9 authors.

Yin LeungMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6758-6400
Terry Cheuk-Fung YipMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Grace Lai-Hung WongMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2863-9389
Vincent Wai-Sun WongMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Vicki Wing-Ki HuiMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Tony Shu-Kam MokState Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Henry Lik-Yuen ChanMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Stephen Lam ChanState Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Rashid Nok-Shun LuiMedical Data Analytics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Funding

General Research Fund-Research Grant Council 14106922
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRecent research (Li et al. 2021) suggests an upregulated expression and activation of H1 receptors on macrophages in the tumor microenvironment, and concomitant H1-antihistamine use is associated with improved overall survival in patients with lung and skin cancers receiving immunotherapy. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the impacts of H1-antihistamine use in cancer patients during immunotherapy.

methodsAll patients who had received at least one dose of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) from July 1, 2014 to October 31, 2019 were identified from Hong Kong's territory-wide database, with this date defined as the baseline. A 1-month landmark analysis was conducted with follow-for up to 6 months, including an exposure period of 1 month before and after the baseline date. Patients were grouped according to the types of primary cancer and the percentages of daily H1-antihistamine usage within the exposure period. The primary outcome was overall survival.

resultsA total of 1740 (65.1% male, mean age 61.9 years) were included in the landmark analysis, of which 529 (30.4%) and 307 (17.6%) had primary lung and liver malignancies. The multivariable Cox regression model estimated statistically significant improvement in overall survival of intermediate use in patients with primary lung malignancies (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.223, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.052-0.958, p = 0.044), but not with primary liver maligancies. Similar frequency-dependent effects were identified in Kaplan-Meier analysis.

conclusionThe benefits of adjunctive use of H1-antihistamines may be generation- and tumor-dependent. Further clinical and mechanistic studies are required to confirm the findings.

Indexed as

Histamine H1 AntagonistsImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsAgedFemaleHong KongHumansLiver NeoplasmsLung NeoplasmsMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsRetrospective StudiesTumor MicroenvironmentHistamine H1 AntagonistsImmune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID39791941
PMCPMC11719706

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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.