Table 5

Risk of bias assessment per randomised controlled trial (abarelix)

149-98-02149-98-03149-99-03ABACS1
Random sequence generationUnclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)
Allocation concealmentLow risk*Low risk*Low risk*Unclear risk (NR)
Blinding of participants and personnel: mortality, PSA progressionLow risk†Low risk†Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)
Blinding of participants and personnel: adverse events, treatment failure, quality of lifeHigh risk‡High risk‡High risk‡High risk‡
Blinding of outcome assessment: mortality, PSA progressionLow risk†Low risk†Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)
Blinding of outcome assessment: adverse events, treatment failure, quality of lifeHigh risk‡High risk‡High risk‡High risk‡
Incomplete outcome data: mortality, PSA progressionLow risk§Low risk§Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)
Incomplete outcome data: adverse events, treatment failure, quality of lifeLow risk§Low risk§¶Unclear risk (NR)Unclear risk (NR)
Selective reportingLow risk**Low risk**Unclear risk††High risk‡‡
  • *Central allocation.

  • †Open-label study but personnel were unaware of blood values.

  • ‡Open-label study but results are likely to be influenced by lack of blinding.

  • §Proportion of missing outcomes compared with observed event risk not enough to have a clinically relevant impact on the intervention effect estimate.

  • ¶Missing outcome data balanced in numbers across intervention groups.

  • **The study protocol is not available but it is clear that the published reports include all expected outcomes.

  • ††No protocol available.

  • ‡‡Adverse events are reported incompletely or study report fails to include results for this outcome.

  • NR, not reported; PSA, prostate-specific antigen.