Statistical analysis
Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables. The Mann-Whitney
U test was used for continuous variables such as the baseline
characteristics and clinical endpoints of the patients. These tests were
used to evaluate differences between the scheduled and interrupted
groups. OS and EFS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and
compared with the log-rank test. The comparison of NRM and cumulative
incidence of relapse were evaluated using Gray’s test.
A multivariate logistic regression model was created to identify the
statistically significant clinical variables contributing to the
incidence of cGVHD. Categorical variables with P -values< 0.1 in the univariate analysis for the factors
causing cGVHD were entered into the model. The categorical variables
were sequentially eliminated in a stepwise backward fashion. Factors
with a significance level of < 0.05 were retained in
the final model. A P -value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically
significant. All statistical analyses were performed with Easy R (EZR),
a graphical user interface for R (The R Foundation for Statistical
Computing). EZR is a modified version of the T commander designed to add
statistical functions frequently used in biostatistics [16].