PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency and toxicity of treatment with or without cetuximab in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: Randomized phase III clinical trials (RCTs) on chemotherapy with or without cetuximab for AGC were searched in PUBMED and CNKI. A total of 874 patients were analyzed for their overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity. Reported hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI from each study were used as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Three RCTs were detected on chemotherapy with or without cetuximab regimens for AGC. Chemotherapy plus cetuximab was not significantly advantageous over chemotherapy alone for OS rate and DCR odds ratio (OR) (OS: OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.50-1.56; DCR:OR=1.11, 95% CI=0.78-1.59). However, haematological toxicity and neutropenia were lower in the experimental group (chemotherapy plus cetuximab) than in the control group (chemotherapy alone) (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.50-0.84). No evidence of publication bias was found in this study. CONCLUSION: Adding cetuximab to chemotherapy does not improve OS or DCR compared with chemotherapy alone. Cetuximab-containing combination chemotherapy can reduce the risk of neutropenia.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficiency and toxicity of treatment with or without cetuximab in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS: Randomized phase III clinical trials (RCTs) on chemotherapy with or without cetuximab for AGC were searched in PUBMED and CNKI. A total of 874 patients were analyzed for their overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity. Reported hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI from each study were used as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: Three RCTs were detected on chemotherapy with or without cetuximab regimens for AGC. Chemotherapy plus cetuximab was not significantly advantageous over chemotherapy alone for OS rate and DCR odds ratio (OR) (OS: OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.50-1.56; DCR:OR=1.11, 95% CI=0.78-1.59). However, haematological toxicity and neutropenia were lower in the experimental group (chemotherapy plus cetuximab) than in the control group (chemotherapy alone) (OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.50-0.84). No evidence of publication bias was found in this study. CONCLUSION: Adding cetuximab to chemotherapy does not improve OS or DCR compared with chemotherapy alone. Cetuximab-containing combination chemotherapy can reduce the risk of neutropenia.