Gastrointestinal events with PARP inhibitors in cancer patients: A meta-analysis of phase II/III randomized controlled trials

Abstract

What is known and objective: PARP inhibitors are currently one of the most promising PARP targeted drugs for patients with certain types of cancer. Gastrointestinal (GI) events are common adverse events for all PARP inhibitors. We conducted this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to fully investigate the incidence and the relative risk of GI events in cancer patients receiving PARP inhibitors. Study design: Randomized controlled trials in cancer patients treated with PARP inhibitors were retrieved, and the systematic evaluation was conducted. Embase and PubMed/Medline were searched for articles published till July 2020. Results: Twenty-nine RCTs and 9529 patients were included. The present meta-analysis suggests that the use of PARP inhibitors significantly increases the risk of developing all-grade nausea (RR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.29–1.66; p