Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 20, 2018
The effectiveness of targeted therapy for recurrence or metastasis adenoid cystic carcinoma: a systematic review and
Lu Zhang1,2, Hao-Nan Yang1,2,3, Ying Wang1,2
1College of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
Background And Purpose:
Several clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of molecular-targeted agents for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (R/M ACC). However, there is currently no consensus regarding the efficacy of molecular-targeted agents for patients with R/M ACC. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of molecular-targeted agents in patients with R/M ACC and provide insights to guide clinical decision-making.
Materials And Methods:
Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, ProQuest, and Scopus) were searched based on the search strategy and selection criteria. Primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), metastatic sites, and adverse events (AE). Pooled estimates were calculated using a random-effects meta-analysis.
Results:
Finally, 28 studies, involving 849 patients, were included. The most common metastatic sites were the lungs, bones, liver, lymph nodes, and kidneys. The pooled ORR was 4.0% (95% CI, 0.7-8.8%), the pooled DCR was 80.5% (95% CI, 72.2%-87.7%). Compared with other-target drugs, multiple kinase inhibitors (MKIs) improved the ORR (pooled ORR for single-target drugs vs. MKIs: 5.9% vs. 0%). The combination of MKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) had a significantly higher ORR (17.9% in the axitinib + avelumab group). The pooled median PFS and OS were 8.35 and 25.62 months, respectively. MKIs improved the median PFS compared to other-target drugs (9.43 months vs 5.06 months). In addition, the most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue (51.6%), hypertension (44.2%), and nausea (40.0%), followed by hand-foot skin syndrome (36.8%), diarrhoea (34.4%), weight loss (34.2%), anorexia (31.8%), rash (31.7%), and headache (29.0%).
Conclusion:
The findings of this study suggest that MKIs have a better therapeutic efficacy than single-target drugs in patients with R/M ACC. Future studies are warranted to verify the synergistic role of the combination strategy of MKIs plus ICIs, given the limited number of studies on this topic conducted and published to date.
Insights
Multiple kinase inhibitors (MKIs) show improved efficacy for recurrent or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (R/M ACC) compared to single-target drugs. Combination therapies, like MKIs with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), demonstrate promising response rates in R/M ACC patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Molecular-targeted agents show potential for recurrent or metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (R/M ACC).
- Lack of consensus on the efficacy of these agents for R/M ACC necessitates further investigation.
Conclusions:
- MKIs exhibit superior therapeutic efficacy over single-target drugs for R/M ACC.
- Combination strategies involving MKIs and ICIs warrant further investigation due to promising preliminary results.
