Table 1 Characteristics of 77 included studies, by non-inferiority and superiority trials
Characteristic | Non-inferiority trials (N = 11) | Superiority trials (N = 66) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | n | % | n | % |
Journal of publication | ||||
 Journal of Clinical Oncology | 3 | 27.3 | 25 | 37.9 |
 Blood | 2 | 18.2 | 10 | 15.2 |
 Pediatric Blood & Cancer | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 9.1 |
 Leukemia | 1 | 9.1 | 4 | 6.1 |
 Lancet | 2 | 18.2 | 1 | 1.5 |
 Cancer | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 6.1 |
 Lancet Oncology | 1 | 9.1 | 3 | 4.5 |
 New England Journal of Medicine | 1 | 9.1 | 2 | 3 |
 Other | 1 | 9.1 | 11 | 16.7 |
Region of publication | ||||
 Europe | 6 | 54.5 | 23 | 34.8 |
 North America | 4 | 36.4 | 41 | 62.1 |
 Other | 1 | 9.1 | 2 | 3 |
Year of publication | ||||
 1976 to 1989 | 1 | 9.1 | 4 | 6.1 |
 1990 to 2003 | 4 | 36.4 | 28 | 42.4 |
 2004 to 2016 | 6 | 54.5 | 34 | 51.5 |
Source of funding | ||||
 Non-industry | 10 | 90.9 | 56 | 84.8 |
 Industry and non-industry | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3 |
 Not stated | 1 | 9.1 | 8 | 12.1 |
Study participants | ||||
 Exclusively children | 7 | 63.6 | 41 | 62.1 |
 Adults included | 4 | 36.4 | 25 | 37.9 |
Disease site | ||||
 Hematological | 7 | 63.6 | 43 | 65.2 |
 Central nervous system tumor | 1 | 9.1 | 11 | 16.7 |
 Non-central nervous system solid tumor | 3 | 27.3 | 12 | 18.2 |
RCT study design | ||||
 2 × 2 factorial | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 6.1 |
 Greater than 2 arms | 1 | 9.1 | 5 | 7.6 |
 Two-armed | 10 | 90.9 | 57 | 86.3 |
RCT trial group | ||||
 POG | 1 | 9.1 | 15 | 22.7 |
 CCG | 1 | 9.1 | 12 | 18.2 |
 COG | 0 | 0.0 | 8 | 12.1 |
 BFM | 1 | 9.1 | 9 | 13.6 |
 UK MRC | 1 | 9.1 | 4 | 6.1 |
 Other | 7 | 63.6 | 18 | 27.3 |
Outcome | ||||
 Time-to-event | 10 | 90.9 | 56 | 84.8 |
 Dichotomous | 1 | 9.1 | 10 | 15.2 |
Intervention in question | ||||
 Chemotherapy | 9 | 81.8 | 57 | 86.4 |
 Multimodal therapy | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 3 |
 Hemopoietic stem-cell transplant | 1 | 9.1 | 6 | 9.1 |
 Radiation therapy | 1 | 9.1 | 1 | 1.5 |