Table 4.
Evaluation of publication bias of included studies
| Outcomes | Subgroup | No. studies | Begg’s Test | Egger’s test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||
| Pr>|z|□ | Pr > |z|□□ | P>|t| □ | |||
| Operative time (min) | RCT | 8 | 0.458 | 0.536 | 0.831 |
| RCS | 23 | 0.937 | 0.958 | 0.735 | |
| Proximal resection margin | RCT | 3 | 0.602 | 1 | 0.939 |
| RCS | 8 | 0.621 | 0.711 | 0.474 | |
| Distal resection margin (cm) | RCT | 3 | 0.602 | 1 | 0.791 |
| RCS | 7 | 0.368 | 0.453 | 0.97 | |
| Hospital stay (d) | RCT | 7 | 0.453 | 0.548 | 0.697 |
| RCS | 19 | 0.916 | 0.944 | 0.107 | |
| Estimated blood loss (ml) | RCT | 6 | 0.188 | 0.26 | 0.376 |
| RCS | 20 | 0.27 | 0.284 | 0.078 | |
| Intraoperative transfusion | RCT | 3 | 0.602 | 1 | 0.165 |
| RCS | 7 | 0.453 | 0.548 | 0.201 | |
| Time to oral intake (d) | RCT | 6 | 0.851 | 1 | 0.782 |
| RCS | 14 | 0.622 | 0.661 | 0.53 | |
| Time to first flatus (d) | RCT | 7 | 0.652 | 0.764 | 0.477 |
| RCS | 15 | 0.181 | 0.198 | 0.099 | |
| Time to ambulation (d) | RCT | 4 | 0.174 | 0.308 | 0.545 |
| RCS | 7 | 0.881 | 1 | 0.88 | |
| Overall complications | RCT | 7 | 0.881 | 1 | 0.616 |
| RCS | 26 | 0.343 | 0.355 | 0.724 | |
| Serious complications | RCT | 6 | 0.188 | 0.26 | 0.177 |
| RCS | 11 | 0.436 | 0.484 | 0.168 | |
| Lymph node dissection | RCT | 8 | 0.536 | 0.621 | 0.614 |
| RCS | 21 | 0.856 | 0.88 | 0.777 | |
| R0 rate | RCT | 2 | 0.317 | 1 | * |
| RCS | 7 | 0.09 | 0.174 | 0.056 | |
| Recurrence rate | RCT | 3 | 0.602 | 1 | 0.275 |
| RCS | 13 | 0.18 | 0.2 | 0.195 | |
| 3-year DFS | RCS | 4 | 0.174 | 0.308 | 0.054 |
| 3-year OS | RCS | 9 | 0.297 | 0.348 | 0.212 |
| 5-year DFS | RCS | 13 | 0.222 | 0.246 | 0.166 |
| 5-year OS | RCS | 17 | 0.249 | 0.266 | 0.334 |
RCT: Randomized controlled study, RCS: Retrospective cohort study, OS-overall survival, DFS: Disease free survival; *P; **P (continuity corrected). *NA: Not available, Supplementary file 3 Evaluation of publication bias of included studies