Efficacy and safety of PD-1 inhibitors combined with anti-angiogenic agents in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
摘要
PD-1 inhibitors have shown significant progress in treating recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC); however, the optimal second-line regimen remains unclear. Studies have suggested that the combination of PD-1 inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents shows synergistic potential in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy.
Materials and methodsWe performed an extensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to May 13, 2025. Stata 18.0 was used to analyze the eligible data.
ResultsEight clinical trials involving 271 cases were included. The objective response rate (ORR) was 49% (95% CI: 39–59%), the disease control rate (DCR) was 80% (95% CI: 74–85%), the one-year progression-free survival rate (1-year PFS) was 39% (95% CI: 29–49%), and the one-year overall survival rate (1-year OS) was 73% (95% CI: 58–85%). The most common grade 3–4 adverse event was hypothyroidism, occurring in 36% of patients. Additionally, further subgroup analysis showed that combination therapy was more effective in patients who had not previously received PD-1 inhibitors (P = 0.003).
ConclusionIn summary, PD-1 inhibitors combined with anti-angiogenic agents exhibited notable effectiveness with a manageable safety profile. Additional phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm these findings.