Table 3 Description of the 9 studies included in the meta-analysis

Cooperberg et al., 2005 [8]

USA, 1992–2001, median = 24 m

1439, 88% Caucasian 8.4% African-American mean = 62y (no SD)

2 consecutive PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL or secondary treatment for elevated postoperative PSA

0–1 (401)

2 (432)

3 (296)

4 (155)

5 (84)

6 (43)

7–10 (28)

1.28 (0.79–2.08)

2.36 (1.49–3.72)

2.38 (1.40–4.03)

3.32 (1.89–5.80)

7.11 (3.84–13.15)

17.38 (9.92–30.46)

Cooperberg et al., 2006 [39]

USA, 1988–2004, mean = 42 m

1309, 59% Caucasian, mean = 61.9y (±6.6)

1 PSA > 0.2 ng/mL or 2 consecutive PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL or secondary treatment for elevated postoperative PSA

0–1 (324)

2 (329)

3 (291)

4 (158)

5 (108)

6 (76)

7–10 (60)

1.89 (1.25–2.85)

2.75 (1.85–4.10)

3.29 (2.15–5.04)

4.51 (2.89–7.05)

7.19 (4.58–11.30)

9.90 (6.34–15.46)

May et al., 2007 [42]

Germany, 1992–2005, mean = 56 m

1296, 100% Caucasian, mean = 63.7y (±5.5)

1 PSA > 0.2 ng/mL, 2 PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL or secondary treatment for elevated postoperative PSA

0–1 (130)

2 (297)

3 (265)

4 (222)

5 (140)

6 (92)

7–10 (150)

unknown

Zhao et al., 2008 [43]

USA, 1984–2006, median = 4y

6737, 91% Caucasian, mean = 58y (no SD)

1 PSA level > 0.2 ng/mL

0–1 (2796)

2 (1937)

3 (1005)

4 (463)

5 (306)

6 (161)

7–10 (69)

2.24 (1.83–2.74)

3.69 (3.01–4.54)

8.61 (6.96–10.65)

9.52 (7.57–11.97)

13.41 (10.40–17.29)

18.96 (13.87–25.92)

Loeb et al., 2012 [41]

USA, 2003–2009, median = 34 m

726, 93.5% Caucasian, mean = 59.3y (no SD)

Repeated PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, secondary treatment for elevated postoperative PSA

0–1 (441)

2 (263)

3 (113)

4 (80)

5 (57)

6 (23)

7–10 (13)

1.1 (0.4–3.0)

4.1 (1.7–10.0)

5.1 (2.1–12.5)

10.5 (4.4–24.7)

12.2 (3.8–38.9)

47.8 (17.1–133.2)

Ishizaki et al., 2011 [40]

Japan, 1999–2010, mean = 38 m

211, 100% Japanese, mean = 62.2y (±5.8)

2 PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, secondary treatment for elevated postoperative PSA

0–2 (85)

3–5 (106)

6–10 (20)

2.14 (1.19–3.86)

9.14 (4.30–19.44)

Budaus et al., 2012 [44]

Germany, 1992–2009, mean = 56 m

2937, unknown, median = 64y (48–74)

1 PSA level ≥ 0.2 ng/mL

0–2 (1280)

3–5 (1270)

6–10 (387)

3.1 (2.4–3.9)

7.0 (5.5–9.0)

Yoshida et al., 2012 [46]

Japan, 1995–2008, median = 44 m

503, 100% Japanese, median = 65y (47–76)

1 PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL followed by a 2nd PSA higher, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy for the postoperative PSA elevation

0–2 (138)

3–5 (257)

6–10 (108)

1.67 (0.93–2.99)

3.97 (2.18–7.24)

Seo et al., 2014 [45]

Korea, 2008–2013, median = 13 m

115, 100% Korean, mean = 66.4y (±6.5)

2 PSA ≥ 0.2 ng/mL, additional treatment more than 6 months after RP

unknown

unknown