Adjuvant PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors show efficacy but highlight safety considerations in solid cancers

“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

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