SynthesisThe Laryngoscope2026
Radiotherapy-Induced Otitis Media With Effusion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Radiotherapy-Induced Otitis Media With Effusion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.The Laryngoscope · 2026Pooled it
- Middle Ear Bacterial Colonization and Recurrence of Radiation-Induced OME: A Prospective Study.The Laryngoscope · 2026Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveNasopharyngeal carcinoma carries a significant health burden in Asia, with incidence reaching up to 25 per 100,000. Post-radiotherapy otitis media with effusion develops in 32.4% of NPC patients, representing the most frequent otologic toxicity. This meta-analysis provides the first quantitative synthesis of post-radiotherapy OME risk in NPC patients with technique-specific estimates for clinical decision-making. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception through April 23, 2025, using controlled vocabulary terms related to nasopharyngeal carcinoma, radiotherapy modalities, and otitis media with effusion. Additional articles were identified through reference screening. REVIEW
methodsObservational studies published as full-length English articles reporting OME development in NPC patients following radiotherapy were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessed bias. Random-effects modeling with risk difference (RD) as the effect measure was used, with Hartung-Knapp adjustment applied to mitigate small-study effects. Findings were reported per PRISMA guidelines.
resultsEight studies comprising 10 cohorts (582 patients, mean age 50.4 years) were included. Among all NPC patients undergoing radiotherapy (n = 962), the overall RD was 0.08 (95% CI: 0.01-0.15, p = 0.0078). For OME-naïve patients, the relative risk of acquiring OME post-RT was 0.18 (95% CI: -0.06 to 0.42, p < 0.0001). Technique-specific analysis revealed conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy (2D-RT) risk of 0.18 (95% CI: -0.24 to 0.60), three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) risk of 0.18 (95% CI: -0.13 to 0.49), and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) risk of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.01-0.27). Chemotherapy exposure and NPC stage showed no significant association.
conclusionRadiotherapy significantly increases OME risk in NPC patients with marked technique-specific variation, enabling personalized counseling and evidence-based surveillance protocol development.
trial registrationCRD420251012963.
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