Table 1.
Characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis
| Author | Year | Country | Follow-upamedian (range) | Age | Cases (male/female) | Sample size | Cut-off value | Therapy | Outcome | Survival analysis | Methodb | NOS score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelkitli et al19 | 2014 | Turkey | 41 (1–100) | 63 (35–89) | 83/68 | 151 | 2 | NR | OS | No | 2 | 7 |
| Kim et al20 | 2017 | Korea | .10 years | 64 (30–83) | 160/113 | 273 | 2.25 | Chemotherapy including novel agents and/or eligible ASCT | OS | M | 1 | 8 |
| Li et al21 | 2017 | China | 25 (1–64) | NR | 196/119 | 315 | 2 | Bortezomib-based or conventional chemotherapy, such as thalidomide, doxorubicin, or vincristine | OS, PFS | U, M | 1 | 8 |
| Onec et al16 | 2017 | Turkey | (1–60) | 65.5 (34–88) | 28/24 | 52 | 1.72 | VAD and/or bortezomib-based therapies, such as BD and BCD | OS | U, M | 1 | 7 |
| Romano et al10 | 2015 | Italy and USA | (1–60) | 63 (28–88) | 161/148 | 309 | 2 | (V)TD/Rd + ASCT or VMP | OS, PFS | No | 1 | 9 |
| Shi et al22 | 2017 | China | 64 (1–96) | NR | 344/216 | 560 | 4 | NR | OS, PFS | M | 1 | 8 |
| Wongrakpanich et al23 | 2016 | USA | (1–140) | 69 (56–78) | 62/69 | 131 | 2.783 | NR | OS | U, M | 1 | 7 |
Notes:
Denoted as obtaining estimated follow-up ranges from Kaplan–Meier curves in the corresponding publications.
1 denoted as obtaining HRs directly from publications; 2 denoted as estimating HRs from Kaplan–Meier curves, using GetData Graph Digitizer 2.26 (http://getdata-graph-digitizer.com/) to digitize and extract the relevant survival data.
Abbreviations: ASCT, autologous stem cell transplantation; BCD, bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone; BD, bortezomib and dexamethasone; HR, hazards ratio; M, multivariate analysis; NOS, Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale; NR, not reported; PFS, progression-free survival; OS, overall survival; Rd, lenalidomide and dexamethasone; U, univariate analysis; VAD, vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone; VMP, bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone; (V)TD, (bortezomib), thalidomide, and dexamethasone.