Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42645374›Full record

ArticleCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2026

Safety of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Hepatitis B Virus-Positive Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Meshail Baswaid, Alaa Shahbar, Afnan Noor, Danyah Ahmed Katlan, Abdulfattah Alhazmi, Mohammed Alnuhait, Aryaf Alsulami, Baker Saemaldaher, Hussam Magliah

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 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

9 authors.

Meshail BaswaidPharmaceutical Care Department, International Medical Center Hospital, Jeddah 23214, Saudi Arabia.
Alaa ShahbarPharmaceutical Practices Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-0171-7391
Afnan NoorPharmaceutical Care Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah 22234, Saudi Arabia.
Danyah Ahmed KatlanPharmaceutical Care Department, King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah 23311, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulfattah AlhazmiPharmaceutical Practices Department, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5433-6322
Mohammed AlnuhaitDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Shaqra University, Al-Dawadmi 11961, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5279-5437
Aryaf AlsulamiPharmaceutical Care Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah 22234, Saudi Arabia.
Baker SaemaldaherCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia.
Hussam MagliahCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer treatment, but their safety in patients with pre-existing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains uncertain. HBV reactivation is a recognized complication of immunosuppressive cancer therapy, yet evidence supporting routine antiviral prophylaxis during ICI treatment is limited. This study evaluated HBV reactivation and HBV-related outcomes among HBV-positive cancer patients receiving ICIs.

methodsThis multicenter retrospective cohort study included adult patients treated with ICIs between January 2017 and December 2022. Patients were grouped according to receipt of antiviral prophylaxis. The primary outcome was HBV reactivation during ICI therapy. Secondary outcomes included hepatic flare, severity, and timing of reactivation, response to antiviral therapy, and factors associated with HBV-related outcomes.

resultsA total of 160 patients were included; 68 received antiviral prophylaxis and 92 did not. HBV reactivation occurred in 3 patients (1.9%) and the odd ratio between antiviral prophylaxis and HBV reactivation was wide and imprecise (2.76; 95% CI 0.25-31.05). Hepatic flare occurred in 16 patients (10.0%) and was more frequent in the prophylaxis group than in the no-prophylaxis group (19.1% vs. 3.3%;

conclusionIn this multicenter retrospective cohort study, the HBV reactivation rate was low and could not determine whether antiviral prophylaxis reduced the risk of reactivation. Hepatic flares were significantly more common among patients who received antiviral prophylaxis, likely reflecting a higher baseline risk of HBV-related complications in this group. A future randomized controlled trial is warranted to guide risk-adapted antiviral prophylaxis and monitoring.

Indexed as

Hepatitis BHepatitis B virusImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsNeoplasmsAgedAntiviral AgentsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesVirus ActivationAntiviral AgentsImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorsantiviral prophylaxiscancer immunotherapyHBV reactivationhepatitis B virusimmune checkpoint inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID42645374
PMCPMC13510508

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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.