Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40426008›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuro-oncology2025

Clinical and radiological features of pseudoprogression in brain tumors treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Maria José Ibáñez-Juliá, Luis Bataller, Francisco Javier Cabello-Murgui, Ludovic Nguyen-Them, Agusti Alentorn, Alba Torres-Martínez, Miguel Mazón-Momparler, Regina Gironés-Sarrió

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Article in Journal of neuro-oncology, 2025. 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
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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

8 authors.

Maria José Ibáñez-JuliáNeuroscience Department Ascires Biomedical Group, Valencia, Spain.
Luis BatallerDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain. luis.bataller@uv.es.
Francisco Javier Cabello-MurguiDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Ludovic Nguyen-ThemDepartment of Neurology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Agusti AlentornSorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Inserm, Paris, HP, France.
Alba Torres-MartínezMedical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Miguel Mazón-MomparlerDepartment of Radiology, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Regina Gironés-SarrióMedical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe, Valencia, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly used in cancer treatment, resulting in the emergence of various immune-related adverse effects, including pseudoprogression (PsP). We sought to evaluate the characteristics of pseudoprogression in adults treated with ICIs for brain tumors (either primary or secondary), and to compare it with a non- PsP group.

methodsWe retrospectively identified adults with brain tumors treated with ICIs at our institution between 2015 and 2023. Eligibility required one brain magnetic resonance imaging scan prior to treatment and another obtained within 6 months after treatment initiation. PsP was defined as radiological worsening within 6 months of ICI initiation, followed by stabilization or improvement without therapy modification. Demographic, clinical, and radiological characteristics were analyzed and compared between the PsP and the non-PsP groups.

resultsAmong 102 eligible patients, 10 (9.8%) developed PsP. Clinical symptoms occurred in 4 (40%) cases, all of which showed favorable outcomes with corticosteroid therapy. The PsP group had higher baseline tumor burden (p = 1.29 × 10⁻¹³) and higher PD-L1 expression (p < 0.001) than the non-PsP group. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were numerically longer in the PsP group with no significant difference.

conclusionsPsP is a frequent complication of ICIs. We describe 4 symptomatic patients with pseudoprogression, challenging the iRANO criteria that recommend excluding this diagnosis in symptomatic cases. Clinical impairment should not automatically rule out pseudoprogression, and each case requires thorough evaluation. High PD-L1 expression and greater tumor burden may be associated with PsP, but further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overB7-H1 AntigenDisease ProgressionFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesB7-H1 AntigenImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsBrain tumorCheckpoint inhibitorsImmunotherapyPseudoprogression

Identifiers

PMID40426008
PMCPMC12263762

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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.