Table 3.

Subgroup analysis of the prognostic value of CONUT for OS in patients with HNC

Subgroups	No. of studies	No. of patients	Effects model	HR (95%CI)	p	Heterogeneity
						I2(%)	Ph
Total	8	1,478	Fixed	1.94(1.55–2.44)	< 0.001	26.1	0.221
Country
China	5	1,186	Fixed	2.35(1.80–3.08)	< 0.001	0	0.790
Japan	3	292	Fixed	1.16(0.75–1.79)	0.516	0	0.810
Sample size
< 150	5	499	Fixed	1.73(1.26–2.38)	0.001	44.5	0.125
≥ 150	3	979	Fixed	2.20(1.58–3.05)	< 0.001	0	0.551
Study design
Prospective	1	78	-	0.93(0.31–2.76)	0.896	-	-
Retrospective	7	1,400	Fixed	2.01(1.59–2.54)	< 0.001	21.4	0.266
Cancer type
HNC/HNSCC	3	578	Random	1.50(0.68–3.32)	0.320	56.7	0.099
HPC	2	207	Fixed	2.70(1.70–4.29)	< 0.001	0	0.924
LC	2	581	Fixed	2.07(1.47–2.93)	< 0.001	0	0.791
OSCC	1	112	-	1.38(0.67–2.81)	0.381	-	-
TNM stage
I-IV	6	1,263	Fixed	2.02(1.55–2.63)	< 0.001	2.7	0.399
Recurrent/ Metastatic/ III-IV	2	215	Random	1.73(0.69–4.32)	0.242	74.9	0.046
Treatment
Surgery	4	787	Fixed	2.03(1.53–2.69)	< 0.001	0	0.608
Mixed	2	191	Random	1.76(0.61–5.02)	0.294	64.6	0.093
Radiotherapy	1	398	-	3.72(1.33–10.39)	0.012	-	-
ICIs	1	102	-	1.08(0.57–2.07)	0.809	-	-
Cut-off value
≥ 4	4	711	Fixed	1.93(1.42–2.63)	< 0.001	18.6	0.298
≥ 3	2	215	Random	1.73(0.69–4.32)	0.242	73.9	0.046
≥ 2	2	552	Fixed	2.29(1.37–3.83)	0.002	13.4	0.282
Survival analysis
Univariate	3	903	Fixed	2.09(1.45–3.02)	< 0.001	40.2	0.188
Multivariate	5	575	Fixed	1.86(1.39–2.48)	< 0.001	32.0	0.208

TNM: tumor (T), node (N), metastasis (M); HNC: head and neck cancer; LC: laryngeal cancer; OSCC: oral squamous cell carcinoma; HPC: hypopharyngeal cancer; HNSCC: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; ICIs: immune checkpoint inhibitors; OS: overall survival