A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract The integration of targeted therapy and immunotherapy into adjuvant treatments for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of all available adjuvant treatment options. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) publish...

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Main Authors: Sunatee Sa-nguansai, Sasivimol Rattanasiri, Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak, Pawin Numthavaj, Gareth J. McKay, John Attia, Ammarin Thakkinstian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05823-2
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author Sunatee Sa-nguansai
Sasivimol Rattanasiri
Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak
Pawin Numthavaj
Gareth J. McKay
John Attia
Ammarin Thakkinstian
author_facet Sunatee Sa-nguansai
Sasivimol Rattanasiri
Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak
Pawin Numthavaj
Gareth J. McKay
John Attia
Ammarin Thakkinstian
author_sort Sunatee Sa-nguansai
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The integration of targeted therapy and immunotherapy into adjuvant treatments for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of all available adjuvant treatment options. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to August 15, 2023, were identified from MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL. RCTs were included if they studied early-stage NSCLC and compared any adjuvant systemic targeted therapy or immunotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy/placebo. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022351290. Individual patient data were generated based on data extracted from Kaplan–Meier curves. A parametric survival model was used to estimate the median time for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A two-stage network meta-analysis (NMA) was applied to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for DFS and OS, in addition to the risk ratio (RR) of severe adverse events (SAE). Nineteen RCTs (n = 9,438) were included for assessing the effects of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy, and non-ICI immunotherapy. DFS in EGFR-TKIs and ICI immunotherapy was longer than chemotherapy/placebo, with a median time of 69.24, 53.47, and 39.49 months, respectively. EGFR-TKIs had a 46% significantly lower risk of recurrence [HR = 0.54 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.77)] than chemotherapy/placebo. Both EGFR-TKIs and ICI immunotherapy appeared to improve OS compared to chemotherapy or placebo, but both treatments also had an increased risk of SAE; however, neither result was statistically significant. This study indicates that EGFR-TKIs might be the best treatment regimen for reducing recurrence with an intermediate risk of SAE.
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spelling doaj-art-5ea3e9310d7f405a8d35e5e7d56a2ac02025-08-20T03:03:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-05823-2A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancerSunatee Sa-nguansai0Sasivimol Rattanasiri1Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak2Pawin Numthavaj3Gareth J. McKay4John Attia5Ammarin Thakkinstian6Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityCentre for Public Health, Queen’s University BelfastSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of NewcastleDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityAbstract The integration of targeted therapy and immunotherapy into adjuvant treatments for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of all available adjuvant treatment options. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to August 15, 2023, were identified from MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL. RCTs were included if they studied early-stage NSCLC and compared any adjuvant systemic targeted therapy or immunotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy/placebo. This study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022351290. Individual patient data were generated based on data extracted from Kaplan–Meier curves. A parametric survival model was used to estimate the median time for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A two-stage network meta-analysis (NMA) was applied to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for DFS and OS, in addition to the risk ratio (RR) of severe adverse events (SAE). Nineteen RCTs (n = 9,438) were included for assessing the effects of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy, and non-ICI immunotherapy. DFS in EGFR-TKIs and ICI immunotherapy was longer than chemotherapy/placebo, with a median time of 69.24, 53.47, and 39.49 months, respectively. EGFR-TKIs had a 46% significantly lower risk of recurrence [HR = 0.54 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.77)] than chemotherapy/placebo. Both EGFR-TKIs and ICI immunotherapy appeared to improve OS compared to chemotherapy or placebo, but both treatments also had an increased risk of SAE; however, neither result was statistically significant. This study indicates that EGFR-TKIs might be the best treatment regimen for reducing recurrence with an intermediate risk of SAE.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05823-2Non-small cell lung cancerAdjuvant therapyTargeted therapyImmunotherapyNetwork meta-analysisDisease-free survival
spellingShingle Sunatee Sa-nguansai
Sasivimol Rattanasiri
Prapaporn Pornsuriyasak
Pawin Numthavaj
Gareth J. McKay
John Attia
Ammarin Thakkinstian
A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
Scientific Reports
Non-small cell lung cancer
Adjuvant therapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
Network meta-analysis
Disease-free survival
title A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
title_full A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
title_fullStr A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
title_full_unstemmed A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
title_short A network meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
title_sort network meta analysis of efficacy and safety of adjuvant targeted therapy or immunotherapy in non small cell lung cancer
topic Non-small cell lung cancer
Adjuvant therapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
Network meta-analysis
Disease-free survival
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05823-2
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