|
|
Chemotherapy in adult high-grade glioma: a
systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data from 12
randomised trials
Stewart LA
Meta-analysis Group, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, 222 Euston Road,
NW1 2DA, London, UK. ls@ctu.mrc.ac.uk
Background.
Trials on
the effect of systemic chemotherapy on survival and recurrence in adults with
high-grade glioma have had inconclusive results.
We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of such
treatment on survival and recurrence.
Methods.
We did a
systematic review and meta-analysis using updated data on individual patients
from all available randomised trials that compared radiotherapy alone with
radiotherapy plus chemotherapy.
Data for 3004 patients from 12 randomised controlled trials were included (11
published and one unpublished).
Findings.
Overall, the
results showed significant prolongation of survival associated with
chemotherapy, with a hazard ratio of 0.85 (95% CI 0.78-0.91, p<0.0001) or a
15% relative decrease in the risk of death.
This effect is equivalent to an absolute increase in 1-year survival of 6% (95%
CI 3-9) from 40% to 46% and a 2-month increase in median survival time
(1-3).
There was no evidence that the effect of chemotherapy differed in any group of
patients defined by age, sex, histology, performance status, or extent of
resection.
Interpretation. This small but clear improvement in survival
from chemotherapy encourages further study of drug treatment of these tumours.
PMID: 11937180 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=11937180&dopt=Abstract
|
