Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42032473›Full record

SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2026

Sex-based responses to immunotherapy in esophageal cancer: insights from a meta-analysis.

Xiaona Lin, Yinhui Jiang, Jiakang Ma, Yuhua Meng, Changxin Zhan, Yu Zhou, Hongzheng Ren, Guangping Zhang, Songwang Cai, Shegan Gao and 1 more

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

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

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

11 authors.

Xiaona LinDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan university, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Yinhui JiangInstitute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jiakang MaHenan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine of Henan, University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
Yuhua MengInstitute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Changxin ZhanDepartment of Urology, The People's Hospital of Longhua, Shenzhen Guangdong, China.
Yu ZhouInstitute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Hongzheng RenDepartment of Pathology, Gongli Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Guangping ZhangHenan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan, University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.
Songwang CaiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan university, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. caisongwang@jnu.edu.cn.
Shegan GaoCollege of Clinical Medicine, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China.
Hao ZhangDepartment of Pathology, Gongli Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China; Jinan University Affiliated Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. haolabcancercenter@163.com.

Funding

Major Project of the Open Joint Fund of the National Clinical Key Specialty Construction of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology ZLKFJJ20230104National Natural Science Foundation of China 82273183 and 82072683Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China 2022A1515010925the Key R&D and Promotion Projects of Henan Province 232102310130
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSex-based disparities in immune-related adverse events and immune response remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we aim to explore the efficacy of immunotherapy in esophageal cancer (EC) in response to patient sex.

methodsThe study followed the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched to compare immunotherapy outcomes in male and female EC patients from clinical trials. The ratio of hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI between males and females from each individual study was calculated and then pooled to provide a weighted average. A meta-analysis was performed using R software.

resultsFifteen randomized clinical trials involving 7430 male (80.47%) and 1803 female (19.53%) EC patients were included. PD-1 inhibitors were most predominant immunotherapeutic interventions. Compared to control groups, patients receiving immunotherapy showed significantly lower HRs for OS and PFS in both male (OS: HR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.69–0.78; PFS: HR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.51–0.63) and female patients (OS: HR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.67–0.87; PFS: HR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.54–0.74). Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences in immunotherapy efficacy between two sexes.

conclusionImmunotherapy is a beneficial treatment option for EC patients of both sexes, but no significant sex-based differences in immunotherapy efficacy were observed in the current study. Future studies are warranted to investigate the efficacy disparity of different immunotherapeutic drugs in male and female patients.

Indexed as

Esophageal NeoplasmsImmunotherapyFemaleHumansImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsMaleRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSex FactorsTreatment OutcomeImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsEsophageal cancerImmunotherapyMeta-analysisSex

Identifiers

PMID42032473
PMCPMC13248435

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.