Table 5

Matrix of baseline and change of QoL scores, attrition rate, methodological quality score and RoB 

Type of cancer
studies
QoL scaleBaselineFrom baseline to the middle of adjuvant CT/or RTFrom baseline to the time of completion of adjuvant CT/or RTFrom baseline to postadjuvant CT/RT follow-up periodAttrition (last follow-up) where reported
(%)
Methodological qualityOverall risk of bias judgement for non-RCTs
Breast
RCTs
 Kornblith 201121 EORTCStandard CT
75.4

(no information on P value)

(no information on P value)

(no information on P value)
1710(refer to RoB summary)
Capecitabine
76.5

(no information on P value)

(no information on P value)

(no information on P value)
18.6
 Perrone 201523 EORTCStandard CT
(mean or median was not reported)

(narrative/graph; mean or median was not reported
No information11(refer to RoB summary)
Docetaxel
(mean or median was not reported)

(narrative/graph; mean or median was not reported
 Crivellari 200018 PACISMedian 59
(no information on P value)

(no information on P value)
5.210(refer to RoB summary)
Non-RCTs
 Arraras 200816 EORTC59.5↑*
ES 0.52
4.211low or moderate
 Browall 200817 EORTC76↓*
ES 0.74
↓*
ES 0.71

(an improving trend)
23.112serious
 Dees 200019 BCQ7.65 on the scale of 0–1036.410serious
 Hurria 200620 FACT-B116 on the scale of 0–1480212low or moderate
 Watters 200322 EORTC78↓*
ES 0.66

(an improving trend)
011serious
Glioblastoma
RCT
 Keime-Guibert 200725 EORTC62.9
(an improving trend)
25.711(refer to RoB summary)
Non-RCTs
 Gállego Pérez-Larraya 201124 EORTCMean or median was not reported↑*
(narrative; mean or median was not reported)
40.711serious
 Minniti 200926 EORTC58.3012low or moderate
 Minniti 201327 EORTC61.5↑*58.512serious
Mixed
 Mohile 201128 MD Anderson SI2.07 on the scale of 0–10
(no information on P value)
08serious
Prostate
 Arraras 200829 EORTC66.80↑*
ES=0.25
86serious
Colon cancer
 Bouvier 200830 EORTC60
(graphical data; mean or median was not reported)

(graphical data; mean or median was not reported)
No information8serious
 Chang 201231 EORTC59
(narrative; mean or median was not reported)

(narrative; mean or median was not reported)
15.89low or moderate
Cervical
 Caffo 200332 Diary card2.11 on the scale of 1–4No information6serious
Lung
 Park 201333 EORTC53
(narrative; mean or median was not reported)

(narrative; mean or median was not reported)
9.111low or moderate
  • * P< 0.05; ‘0’represents no change; ‘↑’ denotes better QoL than baseline; ‘↓’ represents worse QoL than baseline.

  • QoL scale is on the scale of 0–100 unless specified otherwise.

  • ES, effect size which was calculated for significant result and where mean, SD and sample size were available of the respective article.

  • BCQ, Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Questionnaire; EORTC, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; FACT-B, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer; PACIS, perceived adjustment to chronic illness scale.