Table 3 Show results of meta-analysis including pooled HR, 95% CI, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias

The male vs. the female [16, 29,30,31, 35]

7

0.65–3.87

1.09

0.87–1.37

55.3%

Random

0.466

No effect

None

0.556

The older vs. the younger [14, 16, 29,30,31,32, 35, 37]

9

0.63–8.13

1.45

0.98–2.16

80.3%

Random

0.065

Effect

Yuan, Z. N. et al. [14], Hwang, I. K. et al. [37], Fan, Q. et al. [16],

LaFemina, J. et al. [29]

0.284

NF 1 vs. non-NF 1 MPNST [11, 13,14,15,16, 18, 30, 34,35,36,37, 40, 42]

13

1.00–3.54

1.56

1.35–1.79

34.1%

Fixed

0.000

No effect

None

0.569

Large size vs. small size [13, 14, 17, 28, 30, 31, 35,36,37, 44]

10

1.04–7.88

1.93

1.62–2.29

44.4%

Random

0.000

No effect

None

0.059

Deep vs. superficial to fascia [14, 15, 24, 29, 34]

5

1.79–3.16

2.09

1.52–2.89

0.0%

Fixed

0.000

No effect

None

0.227

Trunk vs. extremity [15, 17, 18, 24, 34]

5

1.01–3.70

1.79

1.07–3.00

74.9%

Random

0.025

Effect

Stucky, C. C. et al. [40], Longhi, A. et al. [17], Anghileri, M. et al. [18]

0.041

Head and neck vs. extremity [14,15,16, 18, 30, 40]

6

1.10–4.15

1.38

1.07–1.78

30.3%

Fixed

0.014

Effect

Valentin, T. et al. [15]

0.047

Grade II vs. Grade I [13,14,15,16, 31]

6

0.89–2.99

1.43

1.06–1.91

43.7%

Fixed

0.017

Effect

Mowery, A. et al. [31], Miao, R. Y. et al. [13]

0.126

Grade III vs. Grade I [13,14,15,16, 31]

6

0.89–35.88

3.21

1.36–7.54

86.9%

Random

0.008

No effect

None

0.006

With vs. without metastases [13, 16, 31, 32, 44]

6

1.11–4.80

2.30

1.50–3.51

62.3%

Random

0.000

No effect

None

0.359

R1 vs. R0 resection [13, 15, 28, 30, 37]

6

0.98–5.93

1.31

1.04–1.64

22.3%

Fixed

0.022

Effect

Ma, C. et al. [28]

0.149

R2 vs. R0 resection [13,14,15, 18, 28,29,30, 35, 37]

10

0.97–13.15

2.40

1.96–2.95

0.0%

Fixed

0.000

No effect

None

0.019

With vs. without chemotherapy [14, 16, 18, 30, 32, 35, 40]

7

0.38–0.99

0.70

0.59–0.83

6.3%

Fixed

0.000

No effect

None

0.877

With vs. without radiotherapy [14,15,16, 18, 28, 30, 35]

7

0.31–0.96

0.65

0.49–0.88

50.0%

Random

0.005

No effect

None

0.006