Table 3.
Meta-Analyses of Symptom Frequency and Severity (Pooled Estimates and Heterogeneity of Included Articles per Symptom).
| Meta-analysis | Symptom | Number of studies per symptom |
Pooled mean estimate (95% CI)c |
Heterogeneity | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q-value | df.(Q) | I2, % | p-value | ||||
| Pooled Mean Frequencya (of each 10 symptom) | Body image distress | 2 | 78.5 (75.6, 81.0) | 2.262 | 1 | 55.78 | .133 |
| Peripheral neuropathy | 8 | 61.8 (37.1, 81.6) | 335.63 | 7 | 97.91 | .000 | |
| Fecal incontinence | 2 | 52.3 (18.5, 84.1) | 262.51 | 1 | 99.61 | .000 | |
| Bloating | 2 | 45.4 (9.1, 87.3) | 408.44 | 1 | 99.75 | .000 | |
| Fatigue | 5 | 38.1 (33.3, 43.2) | 25.64 | 4 | 84.40 | .000 | |
| Constipation | 2 | 34.3 (2.5, 91.5) | 537.83 | 1 | 99.81 | .000 | |
| Diarrhea | 2 | 32.7 (2.0, 92.0) | 538.75 | 1 | 99.81 | .000 | |
| Abdominal pain | 3 | 31.4 (6.7, 74.6) | 497.26 | 2 | 99.59 | .000 | |
| Anxiety | 6 | 26.8 (15.6, 42.0) | 415.36 | 5 | 99.41 | .000 | |
| Depression | 7 | 22.4 (14.8, 32.6) | 417.52 | 6 | 98.91 | .000 | |
| Pooled Mean Severityb (of each 15 symptom) | Fatigue | 7 | 50.14 (45.07, 55.21) | 453.99 | 6 | 98.89 | .000 |
| Insomnia | 2 | 39.93 (14.57, 65.28) | 19.50 | 1 | 94.87 | .000 | |
| Body image distress | 6 | 36.45 (28.83, 44.06) | 518.44 | 5 | 99.03 | .000 | |
| Anxiety | 8 | 27.67 (23.49, 31.67) | 151.62 | 7 | 95.02 | .000 | |
| Depression | 8 | 23.78 (19.83, 27.74) | 164.31 | 7 | 95.72 | .000 | |
| Fecal incontinence | 2 | 21.11 (19.98, 22.35) | 3.03 | 1 | 67.01 | .082 | |
| Embarrassment with bowel movement | 2 | 19.83 (18.42, 21.24) | 0.66 | 1 | 0.00 | .414 | |
| Abdominal pain | 2 | 18.21 (15.48, 20.95) | 0.03 | 1 | 0.00 | .853 | |
| Diarrhea | 3 | 17.78 (−6.07, 41.64) | 1191.80 | 2 | 99.83 | .000 | |
| Appetite loss | 2 | 14.70 (13.65, 15.76) | 0.01 | 1 | 0.00 | .892 | |
| Peripheral neuropathy | 7 | 14.19 (11.25, 17.13) | 68.93 | 6 | 91.29 | .000 | |
| Nausea and/or vomiting | 2 | 13.31 (12.48, 14.15) | 0.12 | 1 | 0.00 | .729 | |
| Sore mouth and tongue | 2 | 11.24 (10.66, 11.83) | 3.69 | 1 | 72.91 | .055 | |
| Blood and mucous in stool | 2 | 7.04 (−2.46, 16.54) | 47.86 | 1 | 97.91 | .000 | |
| Constipation | 2 | 6.16 (−1.45, 13.79) | 4.25 | 1 | 76.47 | .039 | |
Note. A random-effects model was preferred if heterogeneity is expected (I2 > 75%); otherwise, we chose a fixed-effects model.
Symptoms data in the row were based on rank.
a
on a 0-100% scale.
b
on a 0-100 point scale.
c
pooled frequency and severity of symptoms were computed with weighted effect size and standard errors, along with 95% confidence interval (CI).
Abbreviation. CI, confidence interval. df., degree of freedom.