Immunotherapy versus standard chemotherapy for treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review
Aim: We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy versus chemotherapy to treat extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. Methods: We analyzed several eligible clinical trials using fixed or random-effects models to evaluate relative treatment effects depending on heterogeneity. Results: In the experimental group, immunotherapy showed significant improvement in overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.74–0.89; I2 = 31.4%; p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.80–0.83; I2 = 22.7%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Immunotherapy is likely to significantly improve extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients' overall survival and progression-free survival compared with standard chemotherapy. Anti-PD L1 exhibited superior overall survival compared with anti-PD 1 and anti-CTLA4.