Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40156702›Full record

ArticleCurrent oncology reports2025

The Growth Modulation Index (GMI) as an Efficacy Outcome in Cancer Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review with Suggested Reporting Guidelines.

Kilian Trin, Cynthia Dalleau, Simone Mathoulin-Pelissier, Christophe Le Tourneau, Derek Dinart, Carine Bellera

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Current oncology reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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.

Kilian TrinINSERM CIC-1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France. kilian.trin@u-bordeaux.fr.
Cynthia DalleauINSERM CIC-1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France.
Simone Mathoulin-PelissierINSERM CIC-1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France.
Christophe Le TourneauDepartment of Drug Development and Innovation (D3i), Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Derek DinartINSERM CIC-1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France.
Carine BelleraINSERM CIC-1401, Clinical and Epidemiological Research Unit, Institut Bergonié, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bordeaux, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purpose of reviewThe growth modulation index (GMI) is defined as the ratio between the time to progression of a new line of treatment and the previous line. This ratio can be used to determine whether the new line of treatment brings a clinical benefit. It has been proposed as an outcome in trials evaluating non-cytotoxic drugs. Its interest lies in the intra-patient comparison. The terminology employed to refer to the GMI, as well as its definitions, are highly variable in the literature. Some uses of the GMI are arbitrary and not based on any scientific rationale. Our aim is to describe how the GMI is reported in the scientific literature. RECENT

findingsWe carried out a scoping review using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine). The algorithm was composed of the terms "growth modulation index", "time to progression ratio" and "progression-free survival ratio". Documents in English, with full-text available, published up to 2023, were included. Among 227 included documents, 166 of which discussed GMI specifically. On these 166 documents, 76 reported on observational studies, 62 on interventional studies and 17 on methodological or statistical developments pertaining to the GMI. All were about oncology. Our review highlights significant variability in the reporting and use of the GMI. To address this, we propose standardized reporting guidelines. Additionally, we emphasize the need for methodological and statistical developments to improve the use of the GMI and to develop novel GMI-based trial designs.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicNeoplasmsAntineoplastic AgentsDisease ProgressionHumansProgression-Free SurvivalTreatment OutcomeAntineoplastic AgentsGrowth modulation indexGuidelinesOncologyProgression-free survival ratioScoping reviewTime to progression ratio

Identifiers

PMID40156702
PMCPMC12081581

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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.