Photo Credit: wildpixel

The following is a summary of “Efficacy and safety of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment of advanced urothelial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the February 2025 issue of Current Urology by He et al. 

Clinical trials showed that programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or its ligand (programmed cell death-ligand 1 [PD-L1]) inhibitors are effective in advanced urothelial carcinoma. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone or with chemotherapy to platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma.  

They searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science until February 4, 2024, using MeSH and free-text terms and performed meta-analyses on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), complete remission rate, duration of remission, and grade ≥3 adverse events. 

The results showed that 4 studies were included, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had a significantly better ORR than chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy showed no significant difference from chemotherapy in ORR, duration of remission, or OS. 

They found that PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy had more oncological benefits than chemotherapy alone and should be a first-line treatment and also noted the need to consider adverse effects. 

Source: journals.lww.com/cur/fulltext/9900/efficacy_and_safety_of_pd_1_pd_l1_inhibitor.189.aspx