Comprehensive analysis of treatment-related adverse events of immunotherapy in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

AimsImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been recognized as an effective treatment for advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (AG/GEJC). However, the safety of ICIs in patients has not been established. We aimed to systematically assess the risk of all common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) in immunotherapy of AG/GEJC. MethodsA systematic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until May 2022 was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. And a meta‐analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) statement. ResultsA total of nine RCTs, including 2918 patients, met the eligibility criteria. The pooled overall incidences of all grade TRAEs, grade 3 or higher TRAEs and treatment-related death were 54.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 48.7%–60.2%, I2=75.55%), 12.8% (95% CI: 10.2%–15.7%, I2=51.61%) and 0.11% (95% CI: 0.00%–0.51%, I2=1.63%). Subgroup analyses showed that CTLA-4 inhibitors had a higher risk of any type of TRAEs, when compared with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors. Meta-regression showed significant correlation between all grade TRAEs and proportion of female. Fatigue and diarrhoea were involved in common TRAEs. ConclusionsOur study provides a comprehensive overview of ICIs-associated AEs in AG/GEJC. Immunotherapy did not have a significantly increased risk experiencing any type of TRAEs, and ICIs had a more manageable safety profile than chemotherapy. These findings provide important guidance to clinicians in counseling and management of patients with AG/GEJC.