Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42501205›Full record

ReviewClinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico2026

Vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma: a time-to-event meta-analysis of phase II and III randomized controlled trials.

Kwadwo Darko, Pearl Tenkorang, Godfred Junior Osei-Tutu, Olivia Asiedu, Marjidah Tahiru, Princess Nkrumah-Boateng, Jianan Chen, Ekokobe Fonkem, Arnold B Etame

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico, 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
–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

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.

Kwadwo DarkoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA. darkobhp@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-195X
Pearl TenkorangCollege of Health Sciences, Univeristy of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Godfred Junior Osei-TutuCollege of Health Sciences, Univeristy of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Olivia AsieduCollege of Health Sciences, Univeristy of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Marjidah TahiruCollege of Health Sciences, Univeristy of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Princess Nkrumah-BoatengCollege of Health Sciences, Univeristy of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
Jianan ChenDepartment of Neuro-Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
Ekokobe FonkemBanner MD Anderson Cancer Hospital, University of Arizona, 925 E McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ, 85006, USA.
Arnold B EtameDepartment of Neuro-Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlioblastoma remains highly lethal despite current standards, driving interest in vaccine-based immunotherapy to improve survival. Given variability in outcomes and uncertainty regarding optimal vaccine platforms, we conducted a time-to-event meta-analysis.

methodsWe conducted a database search for head-to-head phase II and III trials published through July 9, 2025, that assessed vaccine-based cancer immunotherapy in adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Pseudo-individual data were digitized and reconstructed with the IPDfromKM method from survival curves. Primary endpoints of this study were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD420251231284.

resultsInitial search yielded 1248 articles, of which 5 randomized trials (696 patients: 358 vaccine and 338 control) met inclusion. Mean age ranged from 56.6-61.6 years, and 53.7% of participants had a Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 90. In the primary analysis, vaccination did not significantly reduce the risk of death (HR 0.95; 95%CI 0.81-1.13) or disease progression (HR 0.96; 95%CI 0.82-1.12). In subgroup analyses, patients who underwent gross total resection and received vaccinations had improved OS compared with similarly resected controls (HR 0.50; 95%CI 0.31-0.81), and dendritic cell vaccines were associated with a PFS advantage (HR 0.73; 95%CI 0.56-0.96).

conclusionIn this study, vaccinations did not significantly improve survival in adult patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Gross total resection, however, seems to be associated with OS benefit of vaccinations. There is a need for more head-to-head clinical trials to supplement the available evidence.

Indexed as

Cancer vaccinesGlioblastomaHigh-grade gliomaIDH wildtypeImmunotherapy

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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.