TABLE 5.
Sensitivity analysis by excluding the poor/over/underestimated trials
| Outcomes | Trials | SM | RR/SMD, 95% CI | I 2 (%) | Excluded trials (Reference number) | Trials | SM | RR/SMD, 95% CI | I 2 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | |||||||||
| ORR | 14 | FEM | 1.35 (1.17, 1.55) | 0 | 1 39 | 13 | FEM | 1.31 (1.13, 1.52) | 0 |
| DCR | 12 | FEM | 1.22 (1.12, 1.32) | 3 | 1 32 | 11 | FEM | 1.19 (1.09, 1.29) | 0 |
| KPS(number) | 9 | FEM | 1.71 (1.44, 2.03) | 0 | 1 34 | 8 | FEM | 1.80 (1.49, 2.18) | 0 |
| KPS(mean ± SD) | 18 | REM | 0.79 (0.51, 1.08) | 82 | 1 26 | 17 | REM | 0.65 (0.53, 0.77) | 33 |
| 1‐year Survival rate | 4 | FEM | 1.18 (1.04, 1.35) | 0 | 1 27 | 3 | FEM | 1.13 (0.98, 1.30) | 0 |
| 2‐year Survival rate | 3 | REM | 1.48 (0.90, 2.43) | 54 | 1 21 | 2 | FEM | 1.89 (1.22, 2.94) | 3 |
| b) | |||||||||
| Myelosuppression | 9 | FEM | 0.67 (0.54, 0.82) | 0 | 1 21 | 8 | FEM | 0.72 (0.58, 0.88) | 0 |
| Gastrointestinal reaction | 8 | REM | 0.75 (0.50, 1.14) | 90 | 1 31 | 7 | FEM | 0.71 (0.59, 0.85) | 32 |
| Anemia | 5 | FEM | 0.69 (0.52, 0.92) | 0 | 1 38 | 4 | FEM | 0.76 (0.57, 1.03) | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 10 | FEM | 0.76 (0.58, 0.99) | 0 | 1 24 | 9 | FEM | 0.72 (0.54, 0.97) | 0 |
| Liver/Renal dysfunction | 11 | REM | 0.64 (0.47, 0.86) | 0 | 1 24 | 10 | FEM | 0.56 (0.40, 0.79) | 0 |
| Neurotoxicity | 13 | FEM | 0.79 (0.64, 0.98) | 0 | 1 25 | 12 | FEM | 0.84 (0.67, 1.05) | 0 |
| Nausea/Vomiting | 12 | REM | 0.67 (0.50, 0.88) | 58 | 1 15 | 11 | FEM | 0.70 (0.59, 0.84) | 41 |
| Neutropenia | 3 | FEM | 0.67 (0.54, 0.85) | 25 | 1 40 | 2 | FEM | 0.56 (0.37, 0.85) | 0 |
| Hand‐foot Syndrome | 8 | REM | 0.62 (0.23, 1.67) | 93 | 1 16 | 7 | FEM | 0.58 (0.40, 0.82) | 0 |
| Diarrhea | 12 | FEM | 0.61 (0.49, 0.74) | 0 | 4 16 , 29 , 38 , 44 | 8 | FEM | 0.55 (0.43, 0.70) | 0 |
| Leukopenia | 11 | FEM | 0.70 (0.60, 0.82) | 32 | 1 33 | 10 | FEM | 0.73 (0.63, 0.86) | 18 |
| Hematological toxicity | 3 | REM | 0.62 (0.09, 4.26) | 97 | 1 31 | 2 | FEM | 0.48 (0.27, 0.86) | 0 |
| c) | |||||||||
|
CD3+ T cells |
16 | REM | 1.47 (0.96, 1.98) | 93 | 12 15 , 16 , 17 , 23 , 31 , 43 , 44 , 47 , 49 , 52 | 4 | FEM | 1.26 (1.01, 1.50) | 0 |
| CD4+ T cells | 17 | REM | 1.70 (1.27, 2.13) | 91 | 8 16 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 40 , 43 , 45 , 47 | 9 | FEM | 1.74 (1.56, 1.93) | 32 |
| CD8+ T cells | 15 | REM | −0.22 (−0.99, 0.54) | 97 | 8 15 , 23 , 30 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 52 | 7 | FEM | −0.06 (−0.23, 0.11) | 40 |
| CD4+/CD8+ T cells ratio | 19 | REM | 1.47 (1.05, 1.89) | 92 | 13 15 , 16 , 23 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 35 , 38 , 40 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 52 | 6 | FEM | 1.24 (1.01, 1.48) | 17 |
| NK cells | 7 | FEM | 0.87 (0.69, 1.06) | 45 | 1 49 | 6 | FEM | 0.80 (0.61, 0.99) | 5 |
| d) | |||||||||
| CEA | 12 | REM | −1.83 (−2.69, −0.96) | 96 | 10 16 , 17 , 22 , 24 , 29 , 30 , 35 , 45 , 50 , 51 | 2 | REM | −1.45 (−2.19, −0.71) | 67 |
| CA199 | 7 | REM | −0.86 (−1.32, −0.40) | 81 | 3 17 , 44 , 45 | 4 | FEM | −0.63 (−0.86, −0.39) | 48 |
| CA125 | 4 | REM | −1.73 (−3.14, −0.32) | 96 | 2 22 , 35 | 2 | FEM | −1.23 (−1.58, −0.88) | 45 |
| CA724 | 2 | REM | −2.39 (−7.14, 2.36) | 99 | 2 22 , 35 | 0 | NO | NO | NO |
| TNF‐α | 2 | REM | 0.13 (−2.65, 2.91) | 98 | 2 20 , 44 | 0 | NO | NO | NO |
| e) | |||||||||
| Transfer rate | 2 | FEM | 0.55 (0.29, 1.03) | 0 | 2 15 , 41 | 0 | NO | NO | NO |
| TTP | 3 | REM | 1.33 (0.05, 2.60) | 95 | 1 41 | 2 | FEM | 0.64 (0.34, 0.94) | 0 |
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; FEM, fixed‐effects model; ORs, odds ratios; Over or Under, over or underestimated trial which the result had significant difference and was beneficial to TCMs use; Poor trial (Poor) that had at least one domain being considered as high risk of bias; SM, statistical method; SMD, standardized mean difference.