SynthesisBMC cancer2026
The risk of infection-related malignancies and tumor mutational burden in immunocompromised hosts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundImmunocompromised individuals exhibit an increased risk of malignancies attributable to impaired immune surveillance and increased susceptibility to oncogenic infections, resulting in distinct responses to immunotherapy. The intricacies of infection-related cancer risks and the feasibility and efficacy of immunotherapy in these patients remain inadequately understood.
methodsA comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane Library was conducted up to Nov 10, 2024. A random-effects model was pre-specified as the primary analytical method to account for anticipated clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the included studies. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic. Tumor mutational burdens (TMBs) were assessed for Spearman correlation with standardized incidence ratios (SIRs).
resultsThis systematic review included 151 studies, comprising 74 in solid organ transplant (SOT), 15 in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), and 62 in people living with HIV (PLHIV). The analysis encompassed 2,418,274 SOT recipients, 117,264 HSCT recipients, and 5,762,641 PLHIV, covering 17 infection-related cancers. Excluding nasopharyngeal cancer, 16 cancers showed higher SIRs in SOT recipients and PLHIV compared to the general population. A statistically significant correlation was observed between TMBs and SIRs in SOT recipients (Spearman’s ρ = 0.85, P = 0.002), with consistent findings across key subgroups (kidney [Spearman’s ρ = 0.92, P < 0.001], liver [Spearman’s ρ = 0.91 (P < 0.001)], heart and/or lung [Spearman’s ρ = 0.74, P = 0.023]), and PLHIV (Spearman’s ρ = 0.89, P = 0.002), whereas no significant association was detected in HSCT recipients (Spearman’s ρ = 0.15, P = 0.805).
conclusionThese findings suggest that TMBs from infections or immunosuppression may contribute to cancer risk, emphasizing the potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors despite rejection risks. Personalized cancer surveillance and tailored therapies are essential for immunosuppressed populations.
trial registrationPROSPERO protocol ID CRD42024594181.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.