A meta-analysis of the therapeutic effect of gefitinib combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone in treating non-small cell lung cancer

This study aimed to summarize the currently available evidence and compare the efficacy and safety of gefitinib combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for treating advanced NSCLC. Methods: Literature on comparing the effects of gefitinib combined with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone in treating NSCLC was retrieved from the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Database. The primary outcome measures included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Revman 5.3 was used for data processing. Results: Seven randomized controlled trials were included, involving a total of 1418 patients. There appeared a significant improvement in PFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.60 [95% CI 0.43, 0.82], P = .001) after treatment with gefitinib combined with chemotherapy when compared with chemotherapy alone. The subgroup analysis showed a significant advantage of sequential administration (HR = 0.67 [95% CI 0.57, 0.79], P 
Source: Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Tags: Research Article: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Source Type: research