Skip to main content

Table 3 Subgroup analyses of studies on the sentinel lymph node identification

From: The combination of blue dye and radioisotope versus radioisotope alone during sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer: a systematic review

Subgroups

No. of studies

OR

95 % CI

P value

Heterogeneity (I2)

Clinical node status

 Negative

14

2.56

1.88–3.49

<0.05

48.7

 Positive

1

1.42

0.68–2.96

>0.05

–

 Mixed

4

1.93

0.99–3.76

>0.05

59.5

NAC

 Before NAC

6

2.96

1.78–4.94

<0.05

15.6

 After NAC

3

1.53

0.94–2.47

>0.05

31.6

Proportion of patients with positive LSG

 ≥ 90 %

7

1.41

0.83–2.39

>0.05

22.1

 < 90 %

6

2.99

1.99–4.48

<0.05

42.8

Data source

 RCT

6

2.25

1.23–4.11

<0.05

74.7 %

 NPS

18

1.96

1.40–2.74

<0.05

62.5 %

Sample size

 > 300

15

2.01

1.42–2.84

<0.05

75.9 %

 < 300

9

2.01

1.28–3.15

<0.05

7.0 %

Location

 USA

8

1.33

0.82–2.16

>0.05

80.1 %

 Europe

11

2.48

1.60–3.84

<0.05

43.7 %

 Asia

5

2.93

2.05–4.19

<0.05

1.3 %

Injection site of blue dye

 Superficial

10

1.95

0.93–4.08

>0.05

70.6 %

 Deep

9

2.76

2.32–3.30

<0.05

0

Injection site of radioisotope

 Superficial

9

2.05

0.87–4.84

>0.05

76.0 %

 Deep

11

2.55

1.93–3.37

<0.05

31.2 %

  1. LSG lymphoscintigraphy, NAC neoadjuvant chemotherapy