Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40910862›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of surgery (London, England)2026

Comparison of second-line chemotherapy regimens in advanced biliary tract cancer: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and population-based cohort study.

Galam Leem, Kihun Kim, Jeehoon Kim, Hee Seung Lee, Moon Jae Chung, Jeong Youp Park, Seung Woo Park, Yun Hak Kim, Seungmin Bang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of surgery (London, England), 2026. 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. Observational
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.

Galam LeemDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kihun KimDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
Jeehoon KimDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hee Seung LeeDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Moon Jae ChungDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jeong Youp ParkDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung Woo ParkDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Yun Hak KimDepartment of Anatomy and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-9796-8266
Seungmin BangDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBiliary tract cancers (BTCs) are aggressive malignancies with limited treatment options, especially after first-line chemotherapy failure. FOLFIRINOX, though established for pancreatic cancer, has shown promise in advanced BTC, yet its role as a second-line treatment remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFIRINOX and performed a systematic review with meta-analysis to compare its outcomes with currently recommended regimens, including FOLFIRI, FOLFOX, and nal-IRI/FL.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 54 patients with BTC treated with FOLFIRINOX as second-line therapy after progression on first-line chemotherapy at a single tertiary hospital between 2011 and 2022. A systematic review and meta-analysis, registered with PROSPERO, incorporated 21 studies comparing second-line regimens for BTC, assessing progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety.

resultsIn our cohort, median PFS and OS were 2 · 7 and 8 · 9 months, respectively. ORR was 12 · 5%, and DCR was 52 · 1%, with 4 · 2% achieving complete response. Meta-analysis revealed pooled PFS and OS for FOLFIRINOX at 4 · 15 and 8 · 91 months, respectively, suggesting a potential benefit over FOLFIRI and FOLFOX. Grade 3-5 neutropenia occurred in 40 · 7% of patients, leading to dose reductions in 29.6% but low discontinuation rates (3 · 7%).

conclusionFOLFIRINOX demonstrates numerically favorable outcomes compared to current second-line regimens for advanced BTC, with manageable toxicities. These findings suggest FOLFIRINOX as a potential second-line option, warranting further prospective validation and patient selection refinement.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBiliary Tract NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleFluorouracilHumansIrinotecanLeucovorinMaleMiddle AgedOxaliplatinRetrospective StudiesFluorouracilfolfirinoxIrinotecanLeucovorinOxaliplatinbiliary tract cancerFOLFIRINOXmeta-analysisretrospective cohort study

Identifiers

PMID40910862
PMCPMC12825694

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.