Table 2.
Results of sensitivity analysis
| Outcome | No. of studies | RR (95% CI) | P value | I 2 (%) | HG p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients with stage I disease |
|
|
|
|
|
| OS |
5 [6,14,18,21,22] |
1.39 (1.03, 2.02) |
0.02 |
66 |
0.02 |
| RFS |
5 [2,5-7,14,22] |
1.51 (1.14, 2.01) |
0.005 |
60 |
0.03 |
| High-quality studies |
|
|
|
|
|
| OS |
6 [6,8,13,14,22,23] |
1.58 (1.19, 2.08) |
0.001 |
61 |
0.02 |
| RFS |
6 [6,8,13,14,22,23] |
1.52 (1.14, 2.01) |
0.004 |
57 |
0.04 |
| Studies with >200 patients |
|
|
|
|
|
| OS |
12 [6,9,13-18,20-23] |
1.26 (1.12, 1.41) |
< 0.001 |
66 |
< 0.001 |
| RFS | 7 [6,7,13,14,19,22,23] | 1.41 (1.13, 1.75) | 0.002 | 61 | 0.02 |
RR, Relative risk ratio; HG, Heterogeneity; OS, Overall survival; RFS, Recurrence-free survival.