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Incidence and Risk of Hypertension with Ramucirumab in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Published Studies

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A Letter to the Editor to this article was published on 25 April 2015

Abstract

Background and Objective

Ramucirumab is a novel antiangiogenic agent approved as second-line therapy for patients with advanced stomach cancer and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Although existing evidence from clinical trials has demonstrated hypertension is one of the major adverse events of this agent, overall risks have yet to be reported.

Methods

We carried out a meta-analysis of published studies to determine the overall incidence and relative risk (RR) of hypertension associated with ramucirumab. Statistical analyses were conducted to calculate the summary incidence, RRs, and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) by using a random effects model.

Results

Eleven studies with a total of 3,851 patients with multiple cancers were included. The overall incidence of all-grade hypertension was 20.0 % (95 % CI 15.0–26.0) with 8.6 % (95 % CI 6.3–11.7) being high-grade hypertension. The risk of developing hypertension was greater in ramucirumab-treated patients (RR for all grades 2.77, 95 % CI 1.94–3.94, p < 0.001, RR for high-grade 3.58, 95 % CI 2.45–5.23, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Administration of ramucirumab to patients with cancer is associated with increased risk of hypertension.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Exchange Project of the Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (XSJL-003). The authors thank Prof. Masaaki Muramatsu and Prof. Cuneyd Parlayan from the Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, for the genotype frequency data providing.

Conflict of interest

None declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Jiansu Province of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 100 Shizi Street, Hongshan Road, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Jianhua Wang

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, Wuhu No. 2 People’s Hospital Affiliated to Wannan Medical College, 231 Duchun Road, Wuhu, 241000, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Zexing Wang

  3. Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Yunzhao Zhao

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  1. Jianhua Wang
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Correspondence to Yunzhao Zhao.

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Wang, J., Wang, Z. & Zhao, Y. Incidence and Risk of Hypertension with Ramucirumab in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Published Studies. Clin Drug Investig 35, 221–228 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-015-0272-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-015-0272-z

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