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Table 3 Statistically significant results of network meta-analysis in randomized controlled trials

From: Comparative safety and effectiveness of serotonin receptor antagonists in patients undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Treatment comparison

Number of studies

NMA estimate OR (95% CI)a

MA estimate OR (95% CI)

Arrhythmia – 3 RCTs, 4 (inconsistency not applicableb)

 No statistically significant results

Mortality – 8 RCTs, 7 treatments, 4823 adults

 No statistically significant results

Evaluation of inconsistency using the design-by-treatment interaction model

Chi-squared test: 1.06

P-value: 0.79

Degrees of freedom: 3

Heterogeneity: 0.00

QTc prolongation – 4 RCTs, 7 treatments, 3358 children and adults (inconsistency not applicableb)

 Ondansetron + dexamethasone vs dolasetron + dexamethasone

1

0.34 (0.240.47)

0.34 (0.240.47)

Number of patients without nausea – 44 RCTS, 12 treatments plus placebo, 11,664 adults

 Ondansetron + steroid vs ondansetron

8

1.96 (1.592.41)

2.16 (1.453.23)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs granisetron

1

2.00 (1.632.45)

21.00 (3.35131.51)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs dolasetron

NA

2.09 (1.472.97)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.44 (0.200.96)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs palonosetron

NA

1.60 (1.062.41)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs tropisetron + steroid

1

2.40 (1.493.88)

7.20 (2.0325.51)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

337.68 (18.896035.72)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs ondansetron

NA

1.91 (1.552.34)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs granisetron

6

1.95 (1.622.34)

1.96 (1.542.50)

 Granisetron + steroid vs dolasetron

NA

2.04 (1.442.87)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.43 (0.200.93)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs palonosetron

NA

1.55 (1.042.33)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs tropisetron + steroid

1

2.34 (1.453.77)

7.20 (1.2940.05)

 Granisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

328.52 (18.405864.44)

NA

 Ondansetron vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.22 (0.100.48)

NA

 Ondansetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.53 (0.390.73)

NA

 Ondansetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.29 (0.130.62)

NA

 Ondansetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.35 (0.190.64)

NA

 Ondansetron vs placebo

NA

172.34 (9.673070.30)

NA

 Granisetron vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.22 (0.100.47)

NA

 Granisetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.52 (0.390.70)

NA

 Granisetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.28 (0.130.61)

NA

 Granisetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.34 (0.190.62)

NA

 Granisetron vs placebo

1

168.85 (9.512996.71)

169.00 (9.522999.80)

 Dolasetron vs dolasetron + steroid

1

0.21 (0.100.42)

0.21 (0.100.42)

 Dolasetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.50 (0.330.76)

NA

 Dolasetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.27 (0.120.61)

NA

 Dolasetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.33 (0.170.63)

NA

 Dolasetron vs placebo

NA

161.31 (8.952907.94)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs palonosetron

NA

3.65 (1.687.94)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

2.39 (1.065.39)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

5.49 (2.2713.27)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

3.19 (1.297.85)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

771.35 (39.3515,120.97)

NA

 Palonosetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.35 (0.150.83)

NA

 Palonosetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.43 (0.220.86)

NA

 Palonosetron vs placebo

NA

211.46 (11.643841.31)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

2.30 (1.353.91)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

323.08 (17.935821.31)

NA

 Tropisetron + steroid vs tropisetron + steroid

2

0.24 (0.130.44)

0.24 (0.130.44)

 Tropisetron + steroid vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.29 (0.140.60)

NA

 Tropisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

140.45 (7.632585.40)

NA

 Tropisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

597.18 (30.3711,744.01)

NA

 Ramosetron + steroid vs ramosetron + steroid

1

0.49 (0.310.78)

0.48 (0.290.79)

 Ramosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

242.02 (13.104471.01)

NA

 Ramosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

490.92 (26.089241.08)

NA

Evaluation of inconsistency using the design-by-treatment interaction model

Chi-squared test: 15.91

P-value: 0.1955

Degrees of freedom: 12

Heterogeneity: 0.00

Number of patients without vomiting – 63 RCTs, 12 treatments plus placebo, 15,460 adults

 Ondansetron + steroid vs ondansetron

9

2.46 (1.803.37)

2.47 (1.524.03)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs granisetron

1

2.35 (1.703.25)

21.00 (3.35131.51)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs dolasetron

NA

2.83 (1.784.51)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs tropisetron

1

2.95 (1.764.94)

7.20 (2.0325.51)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

31.56 (11.4287.23)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs ondansetron

NA

2.31 (1.663.21)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs granisetron

8

2.21 (1.642.96)

2.40 (1.214.75)

 Granisetron + steroid vs dolasetron

NA

2.66 (1.664.27)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs tropisetron

1

2.77 (1.654.66)

34.52 (1.83650.54)

 Granisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

29.64 (10.7481.82)

NA

 Ondansetron vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.46 (0.240.89)

NA

 Ondansetron vs palonosetron

2

0.59 (0.390.89)

0.44 (0.270.73)

 Ondansetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.33 (0.180.59)

NA

 Ondansetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.32 (0.120.85)

NA

 Ondansetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.37 (0.170.83)

NA

 Ondansetron vs placebo

3

12.82 (4.8533.94)

11.02 (3.3036.84)

 Granisetron vs dolasetron + steroid

NA

0.48 (0.250.94)

NA

 Granisetron vs palonosetron

3

0.62 (0.420.92)

0.69 (0.480.98)

 Granisetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.35 (0.200.62)

NA

 Granisetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.34 (0.130.90)

NA

 Granisetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.39 (0.180.87)

NA

 Granisetron vs placebo

1

13.44 (5.0235.96)

78.00 (6.24974.67)

 Dolasetron vs dolasetron + steroid

1

0.40 (0.200.80)

0.21 (0.090.50)

 Dolasetron vs palonosetron

1

0.51 (0.320.83)

0.55 (0.360.85)

 Dolasetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.29 (0.150.57)

NA

 Dolasetron vs tropisetron + steroid

NA

0.28 (0.100.79)

NA

 Dolasetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.32 (0.140.78)

NA

 Dolasetron vs placebo

NA

11.14 (3.9431.49)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs tropisetron

NA

2.61 (1.205.69)

NA

 Dolasetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

27.92 (8.6290.43)

NA

 Palonosetron vs tropisetron

NA

2.02 (1.133.63)

NA

 Palonosetron vs placebo

NA

21.65 (7.6061.72)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs tropisetron

NA

3.62 (1.787.37)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs ramosetron

NA

2.24 (1.024.91)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

38.78 (12.56119.76)

NA

 Tropisetron vs tropisetron + steroid

2

0.27 (0.110.64)

0.27 (0.130.57)

 Tropisetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.31 (0.130.77)

NA

 Tropisetron vs placebo

NA

10.70 (3.6931.01)

NA

 Tropisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

39.86 (10.09157.37)

NA

 Ramosetron vs placebo

1

17.30 (6.2048.30)

10.45 (2.2149.38)

 Ramosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

34.31 (10.33113.92)

NA

Evaluation of inconsistency using the design-by-treatment interaction model

Chi-squared test: 22.14

P-value: 0.1387

Degrees of freedom: 16

Heterogeneity: 0.10

Number of patients without CINV – 27 RCTs, 10 treatments, 10,924 adults

 Ondansetron + steroid vs ondansetron

1

2.16 (1.622.87)

1.96 (1.123.42)

 Ondansetron + steroid vs granisetron

NA

2.17 (1.732.72)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.81 (0.670.98)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs tropisetron

NA

4.18 (1.998.77)

NA

 Ondansetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

365.96 (20.446553.02)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs ondansetron

NA

2.23 (1.692.93)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs granisetron

6

2.24 (1.832.74)

2.35 (1.882.94)

 Granisetron + steroid vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.84 (0.700.99)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs tropisetron

NA

4.31 (2.079.01)

NA

 Granisetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

378.03 (21.156756.45)

NA

 Ondansetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.38 (0.270.52)

NA

 Ondansetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.31 (0.160.59)

NA

 Ondansetron vs placebo

NA

169.61 (9.483035.34)

NA

 Granisetron vs palonosetron + steroid

NA

0.37 (0.290.49)

NA

 Granisetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.31 (0.160.60)

NA

 Granisetron vs placebo

1

168.85 (9.512996.64)

169.00 (9.522999.80)

 Palonosetron vs placebo

NA

165.47 (6.554182.08)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs tropisetron

NA

5.16 (2.4310.97)

NA

 Palonosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

452.19 (25.188121.41)

NA

 Tropisetron vs ramosetron

NA

0.35 (0.140.83)

NA

 Tropisetron vs ramosetron + steroid

NA

0.16 (0.060.42)

NA

 Tropisetron vs placebo

NA

87.64 (4.531696.76)

NA

 Ramosetron vs ramosetron + steroid

1

0.46 (0.290.73)

0.55 (0.340.89)

 Ramosetron vs placebo

NA

253.30 (13.554734.53)

NA

 Ramosetron + steroid vs placebo

NA

546.71 (28.5810,456.90)

NA

Evaluation of inconsistency using the design-by-treatment interaction model

Chi-squared test: 11.95

P-value: 0.0631

Degrees of freedom: 6

Heterogeneity: 0.00

Number of patients experiencing severe vomiting – 10 RCTs, 5 treatments, 917 adults

 Ondansetron vs granisetron

4

0.65 (0.450.94)

0.63 (0.430.93)

 Ondansetron vs placebo

3

0.16 (0.040.70)

0.16 (0.040.70)

 Ramosetron vs placebo

NA

0.18 (0.030.95)

NA

Evaluation of inconsistency using the design-by-treatment interaction model

Chi-squared test: 0.33

P-value: 0.5628

Degrees of freedom: 1

Heterogeneity: 0.00

  1. CI confidence interval, CINV chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, MA meta-analysis, NA not applicable, NMA network meta-analysis, OR odds ratio, RCT randomized controlled trial
  2. a Meta-analysis was not conducted for treatment comparisons where only one trial was included; in that situation, the direct estimate was obtained from the single trial
  3. b Number of interventions included in NMA is greater than number of RCTs