Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40631474›Full record

ArticleJournal of gastric cancer2025

Investigating the Synergistic Effects of Pembrolizumab and Chemotherapy in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer.

Jun Okui, Kengo Nagashima, Satoru Matsuda, Yasunori Sato, Hirofumi Kawakubo, Masashi Takeuchi, Kenro Hirata, Kai Tsugaru, Shun Yamamoto, Motoo Nomura and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of gastric cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

14 authors.

Jun OkuiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-5226-1347
Kengo NagashimaBiostatistics Unit, Clinical and Translational Research Center, Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID 0000-0003-4529-9045
Satoru MatsudaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. s.matsuda.a8@keio.jp.ORCID 0000-0001-8441-2755
Yasunori SatoDepartment of Biostatistics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-7189-5126
Hirofumi KawakuboDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Masashi TakeuchiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Kenro HirataDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Kai TsugaruDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Shun YamamotoDepartment of Head and Neck, Esophageal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Motoo NomuraDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Takahiro TsushimaDivision of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan.
Hiroya TakeuchiDepartment of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan.
Ken KatoDepartment of Head and Neck, Esophageal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Yuko KitagawaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

Ushioda Memorial Fund
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAlthough immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapy combinations have been approved for the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC), whether immunochemotherapy (ICT) offers advantages over the simple addition of individual monotherapies remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether ICT has a synergistic effect in patients with advanced GC/GEJC. MATERIALS AND

methodsReconstructed individual patient data were electronically extracted from the Kaplan-Meier curves of 3 randomized controlled trials comparing pembrolizumab (KEYNOTE-061, KEYNOTE-062, and KEYNOTE-859). The observed progression-free survival (PFS) curve for each monotherapy was used to estimate the simulated PFS curve expected under an independent drug action model. If the observed curve demonstrated significantly better PFS than the simulated curve, combined ICI and chemotherapy was determined to have a synergistic effect, implying a superior outcome compared to adding-component monotherapy.

resultsIn patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 combined positive scores of ≥1 (n=2,194), the 1-year and median PFS of the observed and simulated curves were 28.0% vs. 27.9% and 6.89 months vs. 6.88 months, respectively. The one-sample log-rank test revealed no significant differences between the observed and simulated curves (P=0.107).

conclusionsThe observed PFS with ICT was comparable to the predicted PFS based on the data for each monotherapy. Our findings do not provide direct evidence of synergistic effects, but they suggest that combining ICI and chemotherapy does not compromise efficacy. These results may support the continued clinical use of ICT in patients with advanced GC/GEJC.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsEsophageal NeoplasmsEsophagogastric JunctionStomach NeoplasmsAgedDrug SynergismFemaleHumansImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsMaleMiddle AgedProgression-Free SurvivalRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedImmune Checkpoint InhibitorspembrolizumabClinical trialCombined modality therapyGastric neoplasmsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsProgression-free survival

Identifiers

PMID40631474
PMCPMC12260791

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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.