Table 2.

Results of subgroup analyses on RFS and OS

Variables	RFS				OS
	HR[95%CI]	n	I 2	P d	HR[95%CI]	n	I 2	P d
Year > median a
No	2.45[1.13-5.31]	4	78.87%	0.003	1.82[1.34-2.46]	15	45.79%	0.027
Yes	3.02[2.18-4.18]	6	0.00%	0.519	1.72[1.46-2.04]	15	0.00%	0.479
Country
East Asia	2.93[1.67-5.14]	7	66.13%	0.007	1.76[1.50-2.07]	21	18.48%	0.220
Non-East Asia	2.62[1.35-5.10]	3	0.00%	0.596	1.41[1.22-1.63]	9	39.70%	0.103
Methodology
Cytological	3.71[1.95-7.06]	2	42.92%	0.186	1.77[1.16-2.70]	5	54.00%	0.069
Molecular	2.64[1.52-4.59]	8	57.03%	0.023	1.54[1.37-1.72]	25	26.23%	0.114
Approach
RT-PCR	2.61[1.52-4.59]	8	57.04%	0.023	1.79[1.46-2.20]	24	29.30%	0.090
CellSearch	3.71[1.95-7.01]	2	42.92%	0.186	2.00[1.28-3.13]	3	64.90%	0.058
Others	/	/	/	/	1.04[0.46-2.34]	3	0.00%	0.564
Marker type
Non-miRNA	3.08[1.80-5.26]	9	56.48%	0.019	1.80[1.45-2.25]	22	41.33%	0.023
miRNA	/	/	/	/	1.70[1.33-2.16]	8	0.00%	0.602
Time point
Pre-therapy	3.45[2.54-4.67]	7	0.00%	0.529	1.81[1.54-2.13]	23	28.58%	0.100
Intra/post-therapy	1.09[0.25-4.73]	3	69.09%	0.039	1.38[1.19-1.60]	7	0.00%	0.539
Patient no. > median b
No	2.40[1.24-4.65]	5	71.90%	0.007	1.73[1.44-2.08]	18	9.70%	0.339
Yes	3.24[2.26-4.66]	5	0.00%	0.482	1.82[1.37-2.42]	12	47.91%	0.032
Detection rate > median c
No	2.69[1.33-5.44]	5	74.38%	0.004	1.75[1.42-2.15]	14	33.73%	0.105
Yes	2.82[1.87-4.27]	5	0.00%	0.524	1.49[1.31-1.70]	16	27.31%	0.149
Overall	2.91[1.84-4.61]	10	52.18%	0.027	1.78[1.49-2.12]	30	30.71%	0.058

^aThe median year for both RFS and OS was 2010.

^bThe median patient no. per study for RFS and OS was 59 and 65, respectively.

^cThe median detection rate for RFS and OS was 46.05% and 51.55%, respectively.

^dTwo-tailed P value of tests for heterogeneity.