Table 2 Subgroup analyses for the association between LMR and OS in PC

Overall

16

3338

Random

0.68 (0.58–0.80)

< 0.001

69.3

< 0.001

Ethnicity

 Asian

13

2325

Random

0.66 (0.53–0.82)

< 0.001

72.0

< 0.001

 Caucasian

2

916

Random

0.75 (0.59–0.96)

0.025

26.3

0.244

Study design

 Prospective

8

1858

Random

0.73 (0.65–0.83)

< 0.001

25.5

0.226

 Retrospective

8

1480

Random

0.64 (0.45–0.92)

0.015

81.7

< 0.001

Treatment

 Surgery

5

1146

Random

0.55 (0.30–0.99)

0.049

87.1

< 0.001

 Chemotherapy

8

1554

Random

0.71 (0.61–0.83)

< 0.001

31.8

0.174

 Mixed

3

638

Random

0.81 (0.72–0.92)

0.001

0

0.712

Variable type

 Univariate

4

629

Random

0.81 (0.70–0.93)

0.004

0

0.829

 Multivariate

12

2709

Random

0.65 (0.52–0.81)

< 0.001

75.5

< 0.001

Cut-off for LMR

 ≤ 3

11

2560

Random

0.67 (0.54–0.84)

< 0.001

78.2

< 0.001

 > 3

5

778

Random

0.68 (0.57–0.81)

< 0.001

0

0.697

Tumor stage

 I–III

3

915

Random

0.43 (0.16–1.11)

0.081

92.5

< 0.001

 III–IV

9

1621

Random

0.70 (0.60–0.81)

< 0.001

22.8

0.241

 I–IV

3

707

Random

0.82 (0.72–0.92)

0.001

0

0.878