Table 4.
Meta-analysis based on questionnaire items
| Questionnaires | Items | Effect size and 95% CI | Test of null (two-tailed) | |||||
| Point estimate | SE | Variance | Lower limit | Upper limit | Z value | P value | ||
| EORTC QLQ-C30 | Physical functioning | 77.33 | 1.55 | 2.41 | 74.29 | 80.37 | 49.86 | 0.00 |
| Role functioning | 70.80 | 2.25 | 5.07 | 66.39 | 75.21 | 31.44 | 0.00 | |
| Emotional functioning | 70.54 | 1.14 | 1.30 | 68.31 | 72.77 | 61.87 | 0.00 | |
| Cognitive functioning | 77.42 | 1.35 | 1.83 | 74.76 | 80.07 | 57.20 | 0.00 | |
| Social functioning | 76.19 | 1.82 | 3.32 | 72.62 | 79.76 | 41.84 | 0.00 | |
| Fatigue | 34.22 | 3.40 | 11.59 | 27.54 | 40.89 | 10.05 | 0.00 | |
| Pain | 25.63 | 1.32 | 1.75 | 23.04 | 28.22 | 19.40 | 0.00 | |
| Dyspnoea | 19.71 | 1.47 | 2.18 | 16.82 | 22.60 | 13.36 | 0.00 | |
| Insomnia | 31.24 | 1.87 | 3.51 | 27.56 | 34.91 | 16.66 | 0.00 | |
| Appetite loss | 20.97 | 1.95 | 3.79 | 17.15 | 24.78 | 10.77 | 0.00 | |
| Constipation | 19.90 | 1.99 | 3.96 | 16.00 | 23.80 | 10.00 | 0.00 | |
| Diarrhoea | 12.82 | 1.72 | 2.95 | 9.45 | 16.19 | 7.46 | 0.00 | |
| Financial problems | 30.56 | 3.47 | 12.02 | 23.76 | 37.35 | 8.81 | 0.00 | |
| QLQ-BR23 | Body image | 59.14 | 9.46 | 89.44 | 40.60 | 77.68 | 6.25 | 0.00 |
| Sexual performance | 29.62 | 4.35 | 18.94 | 21.09 | 38.14 | 6.81 | 0.00 | |
| Sexual satisfaction | 47.31 | 2.42 | 5.86 | 42.57 | 52.05 | 19.55 | 0.00 | |
| Future prospects | 44.40 | 2.94 | 8.66 | 38.63 | 50.17 | 15.09 | 0.00 | |
| Adverse reactions to treatment | 21.60 | 2.76 | 7.65 | 16.18 | 27.02 | 7.81 | 0.00 | |
| Breast-related symptoms | 16.90 | 3.28 | 10.76 | 10.47 | 23.33 | 5.15 | 0.00 | |
| Arm-related symptoms | 18.48 | 4.06 | 16.47 | 10.53 | 26.44 | 4.55 | 0.00 | |
| Hair loss | 41.04 | 5.33 | 28.41 | 30.60 | 51.49 | 7.70 | 0.00 | |
| SF-36 | Physical functioning | 63.42 | 5.54 | 30.71 | 52.56 | 74.28 | 11.44 | 0.00 |
| Role limitations due to physical health | 67.79 | 8.71 | 75.93 | 50.71 | 84.87 | 7.78 | 0.00 | |
| Role limitations due to emotional problems | 69.17 | 10.21 | 104.23 | 49.16 | 89.18 | 6.78 | 0.00 | |
| Energy/fatigue | 45.49 | 21.32 | 454.42 | 3.71 | 87.27 | 2.13 | 0.03 | |
| Emotional well-being (mental health) | 54.56 | 7.83 | 61.26 | 39.22 | 69.90 | 6.97 | 0.00 | |
| Social functioning | 73.96 | 9.53 | 90.89 | 55.27 | 92.65 | 7.76 | 0.00 | |
| Pain | 57.85 | 15.62 | 243.98 | 27.24 | 88.47 | 3.70 | 0.00 | |
| FACT-B | Physical well-being | 19.06 | 0.70 | 0.48 | 17.70 | 20.43 | 27.43 | 0.00 |
| Social well-being | 19.90 | 0.93 | 0.87 | 18.07 | 21.73 | 21.34 | 0.00 | |
| Emotional well-being | 18.59 | 0.64 | 0.41 | 15.33 | 19.85 | 25.78 | 0.00 | |
| Functional well-being | 18.02 | 0.88 | 0.78 | 16.29 | 19.75 | 20.43 | 0.00 | |
| Breast cancer | 20.42 | 0.77 | 0.59 | 19.92 | 24.92 | 30.58 | 0.00 | |