Neoadjuvant radiotherapy for resectable retroperitoneal sarcoma: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NRT) for resectable retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) has been shown to be systematically feasible. Whether NRT has equivalent or better clinical effects compared to surgery alone for RPS patients remains controversial. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ASCO Abstracts, and Cochrane library databases for studies in humans with defined search terms. Articles were independently assessed by 2 reviewers, and only randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were included. The hazard ratios (HRs) of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and local recurrence (LR) were extracted from included studies. Heterogeneity among study-specific HRs was assessed by the Q statistic and I(2) statistic. Overall HR was assessed by random-effects or fixed-effects models. Publication bias was tested by Begg’s tests, and the quality of each study was assessed with the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: A total of 12 eligible studies with 7778 resectable RPS patients were finally included in this study. The pooled analysis revealed the distinct advantages of NRT as compared to surgery alone, including longer OS (HR = 0.81, P < 0.001), longer RFS (HR = 0.58, P = 0.04), and lower LR (HR = 0.70, P = 0.03). No evidence of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: NRT is likely to be beneficial for resectable RPS patients in terms of OS and RFS. However, more multicenter clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13014-022-02159-3.