The association of chemotherapy-induced toxicities with germline polymorphisms: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Abstract

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE What is the association between germline polymorphisms and chemotherapy-induced toxicities in cancer patients? INCLUSION CRITERIA Types of participants This review will consider reviews that include patients with cancer of any type, stage of progression or severity, who receive or have received chemotherapy of any variety, schedule or formulation. All ages and ethnicities will be included. Reviews that include patients treated with radiotherapy or surgery will be included if they have also received chemotherapy. Types of exposure This review will consider studies that evaluate any form of germline polymorphism (i.e. SNPs, short tandem repeats and deletions), whether detected by candidate gene analysis or GWAS. Studies that investigate race, ethnicity or sex instead of defined polymorphisms will not be included. Types of outcomes This review will consider reviews that include any chemotherapy-induced toxicities, adverse events or side effects as outcome measures. This will include those defined by any edition or volume of the common terminology criteria for adverse events or National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria, as well as any other organizational-, national- or laboratory-specific system used to define chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Criteria for defining toxicities often assign specific grades. All grades or combinations of grades will be included. Outcomes relating to tumor or cancer response, progression free and overall survival will not be included. However, measures of treatment-related mortality will be. Treatment termination or reduction due to adverse events will also be included.