Table 1 Characteristics of 13 RCTs included in the final meta-analysis

Urba [12]

2001

USA

50

50

SCC (25%); AC (75%)

45 Gy; 1.5 Gy per fraction over 3 weeks

2

Two cycles: cisplatin 20 mg/m2 days 1–5; fluorouracil 300 mg/m2 days 1–21; vinblastine 1 mg/m2 days 1–4

An [13]

2003

China

48

49

SCC

36 Gy, 1.2 Gy per fraction over 17 days

3

First cycle: 5-fluorouracil 1 mg/m2, 5–6 hours, days 1–5; cisplatin 25 mg/m2.

Second cycle: 5-fluorouracil 0.5 g/m2, days 21–25; cisplatin 25 mg/m2, days 22–25

Lee [14]

2004

Korea

51

50

SCC

45.6 Gy, 1.2 Gy per fraction over 28 day

2

Two cycles: cisplatin 60 mg/m2 days 1; fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2 days 3–5

Burmeister [15]

2005

Australia

128

128

SCC (37%); AC (62%)

35 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks

3

One cycles: cisplatin 80 mg/m2 days 1; fluorouracil 800 mg/m2 days 1–4

Natsugoe [16]

2006

Japan

22

23

SCC

40 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction over 4 weeks

2

cisplatin 7 mg over 2 hours; 5-fluorouracil 350 mg over 24 hours

Tepper [17]

2008

USA

30

26

SCC (25%); AC (75%)

50.4 Gy, 1.8 Gy per fraction over 5.6 weeks

3

Two cycles: cisplatin 100 mg/m2 days 1; fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2 per day days 1–4

Cao [18]

2009

China

118

118

SCC

40 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction over 4 weeks

2

cisplatin 20 mg/m2 per day days 1–5; fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 per day days 1–5; mitomycin 10 mg/m2 per day day 1

Hurmuzlu [19]

2010

Norway

62

45

SCC (36%); AC (64%)

66 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction over 6.5 weeks

3

Three cycles: cisplatin 100 mg/m2 days 1; fluorouracil 1000 mg/m2 per day days 1–5

Lv [20]

2010

China

80

80

SCC

40 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction over 4 weeks

2

Two cycles: cisplatin 20 mg/m2 per day, days 1–3, 22–25;

paclitaxel 135 mg/m2

Saeki [24]

2011

Japan

76

92

SCC

30-42 Gy , 1.8 Gy per fraction

3

cisplatin: 5 mg/m²/day, 5-FU: 250 mg/m²/day, administered on weekdays, repeated every 3-4 weeks

van Hagen [21]

2012

Netherlands

168

186

SCC (23%); AC (75%)

41.4 Gy, 1.8 Gy per fraction over 4.6 weeks

2

5 weeks chemotherapy: carboplatin area under curve =2 , paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 on day 1 weekly

Fujiwara [22]

2013

Japan

52

36

SCC

40 Gy, 2 Gy per fraction over 4 weeks

3

5-FU (500 mg/m2/day), CDDP (15-20 mg/day), days 1-5, repeated every 3 weeks

Smit [23]

2013

Italy

75

75

SCC

41.4 Gy,1.8 Gy per fraction over 4.6 weeks

3

5 weeks: paclitaxel (50 mg/m2), carboplatin (area under the curve = 2)