Table 3.
Grades of the quality of evidence from RCTs enrolled in meta-analysis after application of sensitivity test.
| No of Studies | Study Design | Risk of Bias | Inconsistency | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall survival in all 1 RCTs (assessed with: 2 HR) | |||||||
| 7 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
| Overall survival in 3 NSCLC RCTs (assessed with: HR) | |||||||
| 4 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
| Overall survival in 4 HNSCC RCTs (assessed with: HR) | |||||||
| 3 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
| Progression-free survival in all RCTs (assessed with: HR) | |||||||
| 6 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
| Progression-free survival in all RCTs (assessed with: HR) | |||||||
| 3 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
| Progression-free survival in HNSCC RCTs (assessed with: HR) | |||||||
| 3 | randomized trials | not serious | not serious | not serious | not serious | none | ⨁⨁⨁⨁(HIGH) |
1 RCTs: randomized controlled trials, 2 HR: Hazard ratio, 3 NSCLC: non–small cell lung cancer, 4 HNSCC: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.