5.

Trial Sequential Analysis of all‐cause mortality at maximal follow‐up for percutaneous alcohol injection versus radiofrequency ablation. We used an alpha error of 2.5%, power of 90% (beta error of 10%), a relative risk reduction (RRR) of 20% (upper figure) and that observed in trials (49%) (lower figure), control group proportion observed in the trials (Pc = 30% mortality in about 2 to 3 years), and heterogeneity of 0% (upper figure) and that observed in the trials (I² = 57%) (lower figure). The accrued sample size (882 trial participants) is only a fraction of the information size (IS) (3351) or heterogeneity‐adjusted information size (HIS) (970 trial participants). As shown in all the comparisons, the cumulative Z‐curves (blue line) do not cross any of the trial sequential monitoring boundaries (red lines), and neither do they cross the conventional alpha boundary of 2.5% (green line).