Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40563139›Full record

ArticleThoracic cancer2025

The Efficacy and Safety of Brain Radiotherapy Combined With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) for Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Patients With Brain Metastases (BMs).

Jie Xu, Yanling Yang, Tingting Chen, Dongmin Liu, Yajing Yuan, Liming Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Thoracic cancer, 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

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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. Article
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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

6 authors.

Jie XuDepartment of Lung Cancer, Tianjin Lung Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1863-408X
Yanling YangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
Tingting ChenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
Dongmin LiuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
Yajing YuanDepartment of Anesthesia, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
Liming XuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.

Funding

the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82373194) 82373194
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of brain radiotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) retrospectively in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with brain metastases (BMs).

methodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 42 SCLC patients with BMs, who received brain radiotherapy combined with ICIs at our Hospital from 2020 to 2024. They received chemotherapy plus ICIs regimens and brain radiotherapy, and received concurrent/sequential thoracic radiotherapy. This study investigated the forms of WBRT vs. WBRT+ simultaneous integrated boost (SIB, different doses of radiation being delivered simultaneously to different parts of the tumor) combined with ICIs on overall survival (OS), intracranial local control (iLC), and radiotherapy adverse reactions (side effection). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival rate analysis. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival curves between different groups, and the chi-square (χ

resultsIn all the patients, the median follow-up time was 19.2 (range: 9.79-36.8) months. The 2-year OS rate and iLC rate were 42.3% and 68.8%, respectively. A total of 26 patients died of disease progression; 2 patients developed radiation-induced brain necrosis. The results showed that there was no significant difference in radiation-induced brain necrosis between the two groups. The WBRT patients suffered high rates of headache, dizziness, nausea, and radiodermatitis. The 2-year OS and iLC were brilliant.

conclusionsWhen brain radiotherapy combined with ICIs, even WBRT or WBRT + SIB had well OS and iLC with tolerable side reactions. Its indications needed to be considered from multiple perspectives. Further evaluation of brain radiotherapy combined with ICIs in SCLC BMs is required. Further prospective studies should be conducted to verify the conclusions.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsCranial IrradiationImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsLung NeoplasmsSmall Cell Lung CarcinomaAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorsbrain metastasescarcinomaefficacyradiotherapysafetysmall‐cell lung cancer

Identifiers

PMID40563139
PMCPMC12197861

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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.