Table 2.

Main results of the meta-analysis

	Factors	No. of studies	No. of patients	Effects model	HR (95% CI)	p	Heterogeneity
							I2	Ph
OS	Overall	44	26901	Random	1.37 (1.26–1.49)	< 0.001	79.90%	< 0.001
	Ethnicity
	Caucasian	9	1981	Random	1.31 (0.96–1.79)	0.092	84.10%	< 0.001
	Asian	35	24920	Random	1.39 (1.28–1.52)	< 0.001	79.20%	< 0.001
	Treatment
	Chemotherapy	7	967	Random	1.34 (0.96–1.88)	0.084	76.10%	< 0.001
	Surgery	31	24128	Random	1.39 (1.26–1.52)	< 0.001	79.10%	< 0.001
	Mixed	6	1806	Random	1.38 (0.98–1.93)	0.062	88.20%	< 0.001
	Cut-off
	≤ 150	20	15181	Random	1.36 (1.20–1.54)	< 0.001	75.00%	< 0.001
	> 150	23	10357	Random	1.42 (1.24–1.63)	< 0.001	78.50%	< 0.001
	Sample size
	≤ 500	29	6924	Random	1.42 (1.24–1.64)	< 0.001	75.70%	< 0.001
	> 500	15	19977	Random	1.34 (1.20–1.50)	< 0.001	85.00%	< 0.001
DFS	Overall	10	5354	Random	1.52 (1.22–1.90)	< 0.001	88.60%	< 0.001

HR hazard ratio, 95% CI 95% confidence interval, P_hp values of Q test for heterogeneity test, OS overall survival, DFS disease-free survival