Effect of anthracyclines/ifosfamide-based adjuvant chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma: a conventional and network Meta-analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the effect of anthracyclines/ifosfamide-based adjuvant chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and provide a relative ranking of regimens for STS. We pooled the hazard ratios of overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) by conventional meta-analysis to appraise whether adjuvant chemotherapy benefits STS and performed a network meta-analysis using a Bayesian model to establish the relative ranking of regimens. Nine studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratios were 0.68 (95%CI: 0.53–0.86) and 0.65 (95%CI: 0.52–0.83) for OS and RFS, respectively. Doxorubicin was indicated as best regimen to benefit OS (probability: 30.2%), while cyclophosphamide + vincristine + doxorubicin + dactinomycin was indicated as the best regimen for RFS (probability: 37.1%). This meta-analysis confirms the positive effect of anthracyclines/ifosfamide-based adjuvant chemotherapy in STS for both OS and RFS.

Keywords:

• Soft tissue sarcoma
• STS
• anthracyclines/ifosfamide-based adjuvant chemotherapy
• conventional meta-analysis
• network meta-analysis

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate all the patients included in this study. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81702392 to LZ and 81874061 to TZ).

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors appreciate all the patients included in this study. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81702392 to LZ and 81874061 to TZ).

Notes on contributors

Qingling Hua

Qingling Hua is a Ph.D. candidate at the cancer center, Union Hospital, Tongji medical college, Huazhong university of science and technology. He is focusing on a research about mechanism of metastasis of colorectal cancer under supervision of professor Tao Zhang.

Guojie Xu

Guojie Xu is a Ph.D. candidate at the cancer center, Union Hospital, Tongji medical college, Huazhong university of science and technology. He is focusing on a research about a gene named CEMIP, which has association with metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Lei Zhao

Dr. Lei Zhao is a specialist at the cancer center, Union Hospital, Tongji medical college, Huazhong university of science and technology. She received her medical degree from Huazhong university of science and technology in 2016, with training in oncology in the cancer center, Union Hospital. Her research interest are on mechanism of cancer metastasis, bispecific antibody, etc.

Tao Zhang

Professor Tao Zhang is a specialist at the cancer center, Union Hospital, Tongji medical college, Huazhong university of science and technology. He received his medical degree from Heidelberg university in 2001. His research interest are on mechanism of cancer metastasis and stemness of cancer. Zhang also has been actively involved in clinical trials and researches on various cancers including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.