To assess the overall safety and efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cell (CIK) therapy in gastric cancer through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Key Findings:
22 trials with 2,149 patients were included.
Pooled HR for OS was 0.60 (95% CI 0.48–0.75; p<0.001), for PFS was 0.60 (95% CI 0.46–0.77; p<0.001), and for DFS was 0.70 (95% CI 0.58–0.86; p<0.001).
Disease control rate (DCR) was improved (p=0.01), while objective response rate (ORR) showed a trend (p=0.09).
Immunological analyses indicated increased CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ T cells with a slight decrease in CD8+ cells.
Fever was the most frequently reported adverse event, with no fatal adverse events noted.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
Grade ≥3 adverse events were inconsistently reported, limiting safety assessment.
All studies were conducted in China, which may affect the generalizability of findings.
