Spss statistical package program

Data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS statistical program package (PAWS statistics v18.0). Data was grouped into categories based on demographics, WHO tumor grades, KPS scores, tumor and treatment characteristics, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The PFS was calculated from the date of initial treatment with Sandostatin LAR (octreotide) until the date of death or disease progression. Patients who did not experience disease progression were censored. The OS was estimated from the date of initial treatment with Sandostatin LAR (octreotide) to the date of death or last known date to be alive. Subjects that have not died were censored at the last known date to be alive. Survival curves were estimated by generating Kaplan-Meier methods. PFS and OS were compared between WHO tumor grades, tumor, and treatment characteristics. The log rank test was used to compare the survival distributions of the groups. P < 0.05 for all analyses was considered significant. A proportional-hazards model was used to delineate the risk of death adjusted for covariates. Best radiographic response was determined based on 2010 the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group (20 (link)). Results from our treatment group were compared to results from previous published studies using Sandostatin LAR (octreotide) for treatment of meningioma.

The SPSS statistical package program (ver. 22.0, IBM, Chicago, IL, USA) for Win 7.0 was used for a statistical analysis. Prior to a One-way ANOVA analysis, the standardization and homogeneity of data were checked by Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Levene test, respectively. One-way ANOVA and Dunnett test were used to show difference between the control and the experimental treatments. Duncan’s multiple range test was conducted to identify significant difference among groups. Significant differences between groups could be illustrated by Duncan’s test. Significant difference was divided into two levels, i.e., significant (p < 0.05) and extremely significant (p < 0.01). All the results are represented as means ± S.D., and Origin 2017 (Origin Lab, OriginLab Corporation, Northampton, MA, USA) was used for figure plotting.

To guarantee allocation concealment, randomization will be performed by independent research staff. The random number generated by the SPSS statistical package program (version 20.0, SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and the treatment codes will be placed in sealed opaque envelopes. The study coordinator who does not participate in treatment or nursing was responsible for allocating the randomization codes. In this study, the outcome assessors, doctors-in-charge, data analysts, and participants will be blinded to the group assignments. However, it will be impossible to blind the TEAS therapist because they must be trained to perform the TEAS according to the research plan.