Table 2.
Characteristics of studies with OS as primary endpoint and positive results
| Trials with positive OS (EP1) (N = 124) |
QoL results (global QoL), n (%) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not available | Without statistically significant difference | Unfavourable | Positive | Chi-square test | |
| 32 (25.8) | 51 (41.1) | 2 (1.6) | 39 (31.5) | — | |
| Journal IF | |||||
| Journals with high IF | 16 (18.6) | 38 (44.2) | 1 (1.2) | 31 (36.0) | P = 0.036 |
| Journals with low/intermediate IF | 16 (42.1) | 13 (34.2) | 1 (2.6) | 8 (21.1) | |
| Years of primary publication | |||||
| Studies published in 2012-2016 | 15 (28.3) | 18 (34.0) | 1 (1.9) | 19 (35.8) | P = 0.574 |
| Studies published in 2017-2021 | 17 (23.9) | 33 (46.5) | 1 (1.4) | 20 (28.2) | |
| Masking | |||||
| Open label | 25 (29.4) | 31 (36.5) | 1 (1.2) | 28 (32.9) | P = 0.348 |
| Blinded | 7 (17.9) | 20 (51.3) | 1 (2.6) | 11 (28.2) | |
| Sponsorship | |||||
| Industry-sponsored | 18 (20.5) | 35 (39.8) | 1 (1.1) | 34 (38.6) | P = 0.031 |
| Academic | 14 (38.9) | 16 (44.4) | 1 (2.8) | 5 (13.9) | |
| Type of tumour | |||||
| Breast | 2 (20) | 4 (40.0) | 0 (0) | 4 (40.0) | P = 0.445 |
| GI | 17 (39.5) | 15 (34.9) | 0 (0) | 11 (25.6) | |
| GU | 2 (9.5) | 11 (52.4) | 0 (0) | 8 (38.1) | |
| Thoracic | 8 (27.6) | 11 (37.9) | 1 (3.4) | 9 (31.0) | |
| Other | 3 (14.3) | 10 (47.6) | 1 (4.8) | 7 (33.3) | |
| Type of experimental treatment | |||||
| Chemotherapy ± other | 15 (42.9) | 11 (31.4) | 1 (2.9) | 8 (22.9) | P = 0.245 |
| Targeted therapy ± other | 8 (24.2) | 16 (48.5) | 0 (0) | 9 (27.3) | |
| Hormonal therapy ± other | 1 (9.1) | 6 (54.5) | 0 (0) | 4 (36.4) | |
| Immunotherapy ± other | 7 (15.9) | 18 (40.9) | 1 (2.3) | 18 (40.9) | |
EP1, primary endpoint; GI, gastrointestinal; GU, genitourinary; IF, impact factor; OS, overall survival; QoL, quality of life.