Table 3. Sub-analysis summary.
| Variable | Studies | Patients | Model | HR (95% CI) | P value | I2 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment | ||||||
| Surgery +/− chemo | 14 | 4,455 | Random | 1.69 (1.39–2.06) | <0.001 | 73 |
| Neo + surgery | 3 | 477 | Random | 1.52 (1.00–2.31) | <0.001 | 57 |
| DCRT | 3 | 1,563 | Fixed | 1.74 (1.55–1.95) | <0.001 | 0 |
| Histotype | ||||||
| SCC | 15 | 4,419 | Random | 1.61 (1.36–1.90) | <0.001 | 64 |
| Timing | ||||||
| Preoperative | 13 | 4,313 | Random | 1.72 (1.40–2.12) | <0.001 | 75 |
| Pretreatment | 5 | 1,756 | Fixed | 1.74 (1.56–1.95) | <0.001 | 0 |
| Cut-off method | ||||||
| ROC curves | 6 | 2,137 | Fixed | 1.56 (1.39–1.74) | <0.001 | 30 |
| literature/other | 14 | 4,320 | Random | 1.81 (1.49–2.20) | <0.001 | 75 |