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Review
. 2025 Mar 15;17(3):e80609.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.80609. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Efficacy of Tislelizumab in Lung Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Waqas Ul Bassar  1 , Oboseh J Ogedegbe  2 , Asfia Qammar  3 , Fnu Sumia  4 , Mujahed Ul Islam  5 , Sandipkumar S Chaudhari  6   7 , Olanipekun L Ntukidem  8 , Areeba Khan  9
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of Tislelizumab in Lung Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Waqas Ul Bassar et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of tislelizumab, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, in patients with lung cancer. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CENTRAL databases until February 15, 2025. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing tislelizumab with control treatments in lung cancer patients were included. The primary outcomes assessed were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Four phase-III RCTs involving 1,837 patients were included in the analysis. The results demonstrated that tislelizumab significantly improved OS (hazard ratios (HR): 0.72, 95% CI: 0.63-0.81) and PFS (HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.54-0.68) compared to control treatments. Subgroup analyses revealed consistent benefits across both non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) populations, with no significant differences between cancer types. Similarly, the efficacy of tislelizumab was comparable whether administered as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Low heterogeneity was observed among the included studies, suggesting consistency in treatment effects. Follow-up duration across studies ranged from 14.2 to 16.7 months. These findings indicate that tislelizumab, either alone or combined with chemotherapy, is an effective treatment option for lung cancer patients, demonstrating significant improvements in survival outcomes. However, further high-quality RCTs are needed to validate these results, particularly in SCLC patients, where evidence is limited to a single study. Future research should also consider patient-specific factors such as age, gender, and comorbidities to refine treatment strategies.

Keywords: immunotherapy; lung cancer; meta-analysis; pd-1 inhibitors; tislelizumab.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA flowchart of study selection
The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Risk of bias assessment of included studies
The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Effect of tislelizumab on overall survival
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Subgroup analysis on effect of tislelizumab on overall survival (based on lung cancer type)
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Subgroup analysis on effect of tislelizumab on overall survival (based on tislelizumab)
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Effect of tislelizumab on progression-free survival
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Subgroup analysis on effect of tislelizumab on progression-free survival (based on lung cancer type)
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Subgroup analysis on effect of tislelizumab on progression-free survival (based on tislelizumab)
References [12-15] The image was created by the authors of this article.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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