Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42406651›Full record

ArticleActa haematologica2026

Progression-Free Survival Effect Sizes in Randomized Controlled Trials of Targeted Cancer Therapies with Positive Outcomes.

Wei Zhang, Wen Yan, Mengyun Chen, Robert Peter Gale, Junren Chen

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Article in Acta haematologica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

5 authors.

Wei ZhangState Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
Wen YanState Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
Mengyun ChenState Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
Robert Peter GaleCentre for Haematology, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
Junren ChenState Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China, chenjunren@ihcams.ac.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionImprovement in progression-free survival (PFS) is increasingly used by health authorities for cancer drug approvals.

methodWe analyzed 106 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with positive PFS outcomes published in JAMA Oncology, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Annals of Oncology during 2020-2023. RCTs were categorized as "targeted" (n = 83) or "conventional" (n = 23) by their interrogated treatment variables. Two measures of PFS effect sizes were analyzed: hazard ratio (HR) and PFS increment.

resultsAmong the RCTs of targeted therapies, the 25th-percentile value (Q1) of HR increased significantly (slope = 0.05 per year; p = 0.02) during the study period whilst Q1 of PFS increment decreased significantly (slope = -9.1 percentage points per year; p = 0.03). Similar trends were not observed among the RCTs of conventional therapies.

conclusionsOur analyses suggest a potential bias in accepting RCTs of targeted therapies despite decreased PFS effect sizes.

Indexed as

CancersConventional therapiesProgression-free survivalRandomized controlled trialsTargeted therapies

Identifiers

PMID42406651
PMCPMC13476059

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