Table 28:
GRADE Evidence Profile for Robot-Assisted Versus Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for Positive Surgical Margin Rates
| # Studies (Design) | Risk of Bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Upgrade Considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 RCTs | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | Serious limitations (−1)a | Serious limitations (−1)b | Undetected | None | ⊕⊕ Low |
| 4 non-RCTs | Serious limitations (−1)c | Serious limitations (−1)d | Serious limitations (−1)a | Serious limitations (−1)b | Undetected | None | ⊕ Very low |
Abbreviations: GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; RCT, randomized controlled trial.
a
Surrogate outcome for patient-important outcome of cancer-free survival or cancer-specific mortality. Impact of potential differences in method of pathological assessment of positive surgical margin.
b
Not powered to detect differences.
c
Nonrandomized studies start at low GRADE. Differences in baseline patient, tumour, or surgeon characteristics between groups may affect outcome.
d
Inconsistency in significance of results.