Table 3 The results of subgroup analysis in meta-analysis of OS and DFS/PFS/TTP

OS

Analysis of variable

Multivariate

1.47(1.31–1.66)

< 0.001

80.60%

< 0.001

Random

Univariate

1.62(1.33–1.99)

< 0.001

81.70%

< 0.001

Random

Ethnicity

Asian

1.54(1.32–1.80)

< 0.001

89.80%

< 0.001

Random

non-Asian

1.42(1.32–1.53)

0.063

37.00%

0.063

Fixed

Tumor stage

I-III

1.52(1.22–1.89)

< 0.001

89.00%

< 0.001

Random

III-IV

1.70(1.26–2.29)

< 0.001

85.80%

< 0.001

Random

I-IV

1.37(1.26–1.49)

0.066

38.20%

0.066

Fixed

Histology

NSCLC

1.58(1.38–1.82)

< 0.001

89.80%

< 0.001

Random

SCLC

1.64(0.55–4.87)

0.008

85.60%

0.008

Random

NSCLC+SCLC

1.39(1.14–1.70)

0.036

53.40%

0.036

Random

cut-off value

<300 × 10^9/L

1.64(1.25–2.15)

0.024

58.80%

0.024

Random

300 × 10^9/L ≤ cut-off value<400 × 10^9/L

1.40(1.27–1.55)

0.002

55.40%

0.002

Random

≥400 × 10^9/L

1.73(1.35–2.21)

< 0.001

77.90%

< 0.001

Random

Quality score

> 6

1.59(1.36–1.85)

< 0.001

91.20%

< 0.001

Random

≤6

1.30(1.19–1.41)

0.015

48.60%

0.015

Fixed

DFS/PFS/TTP

Analysis of variable

Multivariate

1.66(1.14–2.42)

< 0.001

84.40%

< 0.001

Random

Univariate

1.63(1.28–2.09)

< 0.001

85.50%

< 0.001

Random

Ethnicity

Asian

1.68(1.33–2.12)

< 0.001

85.10%

< 0.001

Random

non-Asian

–

–

–

–

–

Tumor stage

I-III

1.40(1.26–1.55)

0.097

46.30%

0.097

Fixed

III-IV

1.74(1.09–2.78)

< 0.001

92.50%

< 0.001

Random

Histology

NSCLC

1.71(1.40–2.09)

< 0.001

83.00%

< 0.001

Random

SCLC

–

–

–

–

–

cut-off value

<300 × 10^9/L

1.47(1.21–1.78)

0.584

0.00%

0.584

Fixed

300 × 10^9/L ≤ cut-off value<400 × 10^9/L

1.42(1.15–1.74)

< 0.001

81.40%

< 0.001

Random

≥400 × 10^9/L

3.30(2.52–4.32)

0.383

0.00%

0.383

Fixed

Quality score

> 6

1.77(1.42–2.20)

< 0.001

84.30%

< 0.001

Random

≤6

1.04(0.85–1.26)

0.114

0.599

0.114

Fixed