Table 2 Inclusion criteria
| Â | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria and notes |
|---|---|---|
Study design | Systematic reviews or meta-analyses. | Editorials or commentaries on included reviews. Meta-analyses not conducted as part of a systematic review were excluded from the overview of reviews (see text below). |
Target population | Patients with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer reported separately from other cancers. | Reviews of mixed cancers were only considered if they included > 1 lung cancer study, with findings reported separately from other cancers. Studies of prognostic or predicative factors for developing lung cancer, in an otherwise healthy population, were not included. Lung cancer studies not reporting on histological subtypes were excluded for the overview of reviews (see text below). |
Type of prognostic factors (exposure) | Any prognostic or predictive factors relating to the patient, tumour, socioeconomic position, or healthcare provider and system were included. Reviews of single or multiple factors were included. | The review did not include studies evaluating the effectiveness of treatments to improve survival. However, predictive factors of treatment outcomes (PROGRESS theme 4 research) were considered for inclusion in the mapping review. |
Outcome measure | Overall or cancer specific survival. | – |
Language and publication type | No language restrictions were used during the searches and mapping review. | Non-English language publications and conference abstracts were not included in the overview of reviews. |