Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40640844›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of surgical oncology2025

PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for Chinese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: an updated meta-analysis based on phase 3 randomized controlled trials.

Jianfei Zhang, Min Liu, Dongyang Li, Jiali Luo, Min Wang

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of surgical oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Subcutaneous immunotherapy as a catalyst for decentralized, oncologist-led cancer care: a mixed-methods analysis.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
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.

Jianfei ZhangDepartment of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Jingdezhen, No. 317, Zhonghua North Road, Zhushan District, Jingdezhen City, 333000, China.
Min LiuDepartment of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Jingdezhen, No. 317, Zhonghua North Road, Zhushan District, Jingdezhen City, 333000, China.
Dongyang LiDepartment of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Jingdezhen, No. 317, Zhonghua North Road, Zhushan District, Jingdezhen City, 333000, China.
Jiali LuoDepartment of Nursing, The First People's Hospital of Jingdezhen, Jingdezhen City, 333000, China.
Min WangDepartment of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Jingdezhen, No. 317, Zhonghua North Road, Zhushan District, Jingdezhen City, 333000, China. tianbian20060223@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe combination of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with chemotherapy (PC) has shown promise in treating advanced NSCLC. However, its added benefit over chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients remains unclear. We performed an updated synthesis of phase 3 randomized controlled trails (RCTs) to assess both therapeutic effectiveness and associated safety of PC therapy in this population.

methodsWe systematically searched six different databases for relevant publications. Only phase 3 RCTs enrolling Chinese individuals with advanced NSCLC, contrasting PC and standalone chemotherapy, were eligible. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Tumor responses and adverse effects (AEs) were assessed as secondary indicators.

resultsEleven phase 3 trials including 3712 Chinese participants were analyzed. The PC group showed significant better OS (Hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65 [0.60, 0.72], P < 0.00001), and PFS (HR: 0.49 [0.46, 0.53], P < 0.00001). Better survival rate at 6 to 60 months was observed in those given PC. Presence of brain metastases and receiving pembrolizumab were associated with improved outcomes in the PC subgroup. Regarding tumor responses, PC led to longer duration of response (HR: 0.43 [0.36, 0.50], P < 0.00001), and a higher objective response rate (risk ratio [RR]: 1.60 [1.49, 1.72], P < 0.00001). However, PC group exhibited more AEs and immune-related AEs (irAEs) in all severity levels.

conclusionPIC may offer superior clinical benefits over chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC, though with irAEs that warrants careful monitoring.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsB7-H1 AntigenCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsLung NeoplasmsChinaClinical Trials, Phase III as TopicEast Asian PeopleHumansPrognosisProgrammed Cell Death 1 ReceptorProgression-Free SurvivalRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSurvival RateB7-H1 AntigenCD274 protein, humanImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsPDCD1 protein, humanProgrammed Cell Death 1 ReceptorChemotherapyChineseMeta-analysisNon-small-cell lung cancerPD-1/PD-L1 inhibitorsRandomized clinical trials

Identifiers

PMID40640844
PMCPMC12247408

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.