Efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 inhibitors in solid tumors based on clinical characteristics: a meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT

Aims: To clarify the relationship between the potency of dual blockade of PD-1 or its ligand (PD-L1) plus CTLA-4 and patients with different clinical characteristics with solid tumors, the authors performed this meta-analysis. Patients & methods: 12 randomized clinical trials containing 7056 patients were included after the literature was filtered. Results: Dual blockade substantially enhanced overall survival and progression-free survival compared with standard of care, especially in patients aged <65 years old, those 65-74 years old, those with a smoking history, members of the White population and those with a high tumor mutation burden. Conclusion: Dual blockade therapy significantly improved patient survival outcomes. Age, smoking history, race and tumor mutation burden might be used to predict the potency of dual blockade therapy in solid tumors.

PD-1/PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 inhibitors therapy has been shown to be effective in many cancers. This meta-analysis found a correlation between efficacy and the characteristics of patients. Several datasets were used to screen the articles. Review Manager 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. A total of 7056 patients from 12 randomized, controlled trials were included. It was found that significant benefits were obtained by dual inhibitors. Their efficacy was correlated with patient age, smoking history, race and tumor mutation burden. These findings are important for clinical medication decisions.