Table 4. TACE plus apatinib vs. TACE alone: a meta-analysis of tumor response rate and adverse events.
| Study group | Description | No. of studies | OR (95% CI) | Significance P value |
I2 | Heterogeneity P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective response rate | ||||||
| Study type | Randomized clinical trials | 17 | 2.817 (2.144–3.701) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 |
| Case-control studies | 4 | 2.185 (1.249–3.823) | 0.006 | 0 | 0.447 | |
| Dosage of apatinib | 850 mg/d | 4 | 3.072 (1.642–5.749) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.997 |
| 500 mg/d | 14 | 2.681 (2.021–3.555) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.975 | |
| 250 mg/d | 3 | 2.152 (0.957–4.842) | 0.064 | 0 | 0.375 | |
| TACE regimen | 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin | 4 | 3.120 (1.492–6.522) | 0.002 | 0 | 0.998 |
| Adriamycin + platinol | 7 | 2.707 (1.860–3.940) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.993 | |
| 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin + platinol | 4 | 2.584 (1.441–4.632) | 0.001 | 0 | 0.77 | |
| Adriamycin | 3 | 2.389 (1.305–4.376) | 0.005 | 0 | 0.518 | |
| Study sample size | ≥50 | 12 | 2.582 (1.929–3.456) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.997 |
| <50 | 9 | 2.994 (1.870–4.637) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.756 | |
| Disease control rate | ||||||
| Study type | Randomized clinical trials | 16 | 3.180 (2.268–4.458) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 |
| Case-control studies | 5 | 2.295 (1.302–4.046) | 0.004 | 0 | 0.561 | |
| Dosage of apatinib | 850 mg/d | 4 | 3.553 (1.867–6.760) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.992 |
| 500 mg/d | 13 | 2.864 (1.955–4.195) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 | |
| 250 mg/d | 3 | 2.425 (1.139–5.164) | 0.022 | 42.572 | 0.175 | |
| TACE regimen | 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin | 4 | 3.531 (1.956–6.377) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.995 |
| Adriamycin + platinol | 7 | 2.877 (1.675–4.941) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.992 | |
| 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin + platinol | 4 | 3.050 (1.587–5.861) | 0.001 | 0 | 0.788 | |
| Adriamycin | 2 | 3.046 (1.102–8.418) | 0.032 | 0 | 0.404 | |
| Study sample size | ≥50 | 10 | 2.802 (1.871–4.195) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 |
| <50 | 11 | 3.051 (2.009–4.632) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.884 | |
| Progressive disease | ||||||
| Study type | Randomized clinical trials | 16 | 0.313 (0.223–0.439) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 |
| Case-control studies | 5 | 0.436 (0.247–0.768) | 0.004 | 0 | 0.561 | |
| Dosage of apatinib | 850 mg/d | 4 | 0.281 (0.148–0.536) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.992 |
| 500 mg/d | 13 | 0.347 (0.237–0.508) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 | |
| 250 mg/d | 3 | 0.412 (0.194–0.878) | 0.022 | 42.572 | 0.175 | |
| TACE regimen | 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin | 4 | 0.283 (0.157–0.511) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.995 |
| Adriamycin + platinol | 7 | 0.343 (0.200–0.589) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.994 | |
| 5-fluorouracil + adriamycin + platinol | 3 | 0.294 (0.138–0.627) | 0.002 | 0 | 0.69 | |
| Adriamycin | 2 | 0.328 (0.119–0.907) | 0.032 | 0 | 0.404 | |
| Study sample size | ≥50 | 10 | 0.357 (0.238–0.535) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.999 |
| <50 | 11 | 0.325 (0.214–0.494) | <0.001 | 0 | 0.891 |
TACE, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.