Table 3. Sensitivity analysis results.
| Covariate | No. of studies | Sensitivity (95% CI) | p | Specificity (95% CI) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study design | ||||||
| Prospective | 4 | 0.71 [0.56–0.86] | 0.28 | 0.96 [0.91–1.00] | 0.61 | |
| Retrospective | 4 | 0.73 [0.60–0.87] | - | 0.89 [0.79–1.00] | - | |
| Patient selection | ||||||
| Pathologically confirmed | 2 | 0.75 [0.56–0.95] | 0.72 | 0.96 [0.89–1.00] | 0.47 | |
| Clinically suspected | 6 | 0.71 [0.59–0.83] | - | 0.92 [0.85–0.99] | - | |
| Reference | ||||||
| Diagnostic LPS included | 3 | 0.62 [0.46–0.77] | 0.02 | 0.84 [0.69–0.99] | 0.01 | |
| Laparotomy | 5 | 0.77 [0.67–0.87] | - | 0.96 [0.92–0.99] | - | |
| Pathologic evaluation | ||||||
| Yes | 7 | 0.71 [0.60–0.82] | 0.37 | 0.95 [0.90–0.99] | 0.03 | |
| No | 1 | 0.79 [0.57–1.00] | - | 0.69 [0.24–1.00] | - | |
| FIGO stage* | ||||||
| Early stage included | 6 | 0.71 [0.59–0.83] | 0.22 | 0.96 [0.93–0.99] | 0.14 | |
| Advanced stage only | 2 | 0.76 [0.60–0.93] | - | 0.77 [0.55–0.99] | - | |
| Prevalence of FDG-avid subtype† | ||||||
| ≥70% | 5 | 0.76 [0.64–0.87] | 0.88 | 0.89 [0.80–0.97] | 0.01 | |
| <70% | 3 | 0.66 [0.48–0.85] | - | 0.97 [0.94–1.00] | - | |
| Type of scanner | ||||||
| Hybrid PET/CT | 6 | 0.75 [0.65–0.85] | 0.69 | 0.94 [0.88–1.00] | 0.69 | |
| Stand-alone PET included | 2 | 0.60 [0.38–0.82] | - | 0.91 [0.77–1.00] | - | |
| PET interpretation | ||||||
| SUVmax >2 g/mL | 1 | 0.79 [0.57–1.00] | 0.92 | 0.69 [0.24–1.00] | 0.08 | |
| Visual | 7 | 0.71 [0.60–0.82] | - | 0.95 [0.90–0.99] | - | |
CI, confidence interval; CT, computed tomography; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose; FIGO, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; LPS, laparoscopy; PET, positron emission tomography; SUVmax, maximum standardized uptake value.
*FIGO stages I and II were regarded as early stage; †The FDG-avid subtype comprised serous, endometrioid, and undifferentiated tumors.