Increased risk of severe infections in cancer patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a meta-analysis

Qing Ma, Li-Yan Gu, Yao-Yao Ren, Li-Li Zeng, Ting Gong, Dian-Sheng Zhong Department of Oncology, The General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) have been widely used in a variety of solid malignancies. Concerns have arisen regarding the risk of severe infections (≥grade 3) with use of these drugs, but the contribution of VEGFR-TKIs to infections is still unknown.Methods: The databases of PubMed and abstracts presented at oncology conferences’ proceedings were searched for relevant studies from January 2000 to December 2014. Summary incidences, Peto odds ratio (Peto OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using either random-effects or fixed-effects models according to the heterogeneity of included studies.Results: A total of 16,488 patients from 27 randomized controlled trials were included. The risk of developing severe (Peto OR 1.69, 95% CI: 1.45–1.96, P