F-18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography imaging in primary staging of patients with malignant melanoma: a systematic review

Table 1 Risk-of-bias assessment of studies published after March 2007

Study	Item 1	Item 2	Item 3	Item 4	Item 5^a	Item 6	Item 7	Item 8	Item 9	Item 10	Risk of bias
Maubec and colleagues [28]	Yes	Unclear	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Unclear	Yes	Yes	Unclear	Low
Strobel and colleagues [36]	No	Unclear	Yes	Yes	No	No	Unclear	Unclear	Yes	Unclear	High
Singh and colleagues [23]	Yes	Unclear	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Unclear	Yes	Unclear	High
Bastiaannet and colleagues [35]	Yes	Unclear	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Unclear	Unclear	Yes	Unclear	Low
Veit-Haibach and colleagues [37]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Unclear	Yes	No	Yes	Unclear	High
Aukema and colleagues [34]	Unclear	Unclear	Yes	Yes	No	Unclear	Unclear	Yes	Yes	Unclear	High

Item 1, reference standard likely to correctly classify the target condition appropriately; item 2, time period between reference standard and index test appropriate; item 3, interdependence of test appropriate; item 4, partial verification avoided; item 5, differential verification bias; item 6, incorporation bias; item 7, reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test; item 8, intention-to-diagnose analysis performed; item 9, Free from selective reporting; item 10, no other aspects. Yes, low risk of bias; no, high risk of bias; unclear, information for assessment of the item is missing.
^aPositron emission tomography (PET) studies had a differential verification bias because PET nonresponders were only followed up, instead of undergoing a biopsy. Item 5 was not considered in the risk-of-bias assessment.

ISSN: 2046-4053