“ Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors are widely used in cancer treatment .”
BUFFALO, NY – April 7, 2026 – A new research paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on March 31, 2026, titled “ Efficacy and safety of PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibitors as adjuvants in the treatment of patients with solid cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials .”
Led by first author Maryam Aleid from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University , and corresponding author Dhai Almuteri from King Fahad Specialist Hospital , the researchers evaluated 13 randomized controlled trials involving 9,850 patients to assess the efficacy and safety of PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors as adjuvant therapy following tumor resection.
The analysis demonstrated that immune checkpoint inhibitors significantly improved key clinical outcomes, including disease-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival. However, no clear improvement in overall survival was observed across studies. The study also identified a reduction in recurrence and metastasis risk, supporting the role of these therapies in early-stage cancer management. At the same time, variability across tumor types suggests that benefits may differ depending on cancer subtype and patient population.
“ Adjuvant PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors improve disease-free and distant metastasis-free survival in selected patients with high-risk solid tumors .”
In terms of safety, the findings highlight an increased incidence of adverse events associated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, including fatigue, nausea, pruritus, and hypothyroidism, emphasizing the importance of careful monitoring during treatment. The authors conclude that while PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors offer meaningful benefits in reducing recurrence and metastasis in high-risk solid tumors, the clinical benefit must be balanced against higher toxicity rates. Future research is needed to refine patient selection, evaluate long-term survival outcomes, and better understand differences across tumor types to optimize the use of these therapies in clinical practice.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28855
Correspondence to: Dhai Almuteri – d.almuteri@qu.edu.sa
Keywords : PD-1, PD-L1, adjuvant immunotherapy, cancer, solid tumor
Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.
________
About Oncotarget :
Oncotarget (a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal) aims to maximize research impact through insightful peer-review; eliminate borders between specialties by linking different fields of oncology, cancer research and biomedical sciences; and foster application of basic and clinical science.
Oncotarget is indexed and archived by PubMed/Medline , PubMed Central , Scopus , EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).
To learn more about Oncotarget , visit Oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media:
X
Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Spotify , and available wherever you listen to podcasts
Click here to subscribe to Oncotarget publication updates.
For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com .
Oncotarget
News article
Not applicable
Efficacy and safety of PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibitors as adjuvants in the treatment of patients with solid cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
31-Mar-2026
Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.