| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Baldissera 2006 | Patients with aggressive high‐risk NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Brice 2000 | Not a randomised controlled trial. Patients were analysed retrospectively. |
| Cao 2001 | Not a randomised controlled trial. Patients were analysed retrospectively. |
| De Souza 2003 | Patients with aggressive high‐risk NHL, and not FL, were randomised |
| De Souza 2004 | Patients with aggressive high‐risk NHL, and not FL, were randomised |
| Gianni 1997 | Patients with diffuse large‐cell lymphoma, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Guglielmi 1993 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Hagenbeek 1991 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL were randomised. |
| Haioun 1993 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Haioun 1994 | Patients with aggressive high‐risk NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Haioun 1997 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Intragumtornchai 2000 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Intragumtornchai 2006 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Kaiser 2002 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Kluin‐Nelemans 2001 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Leppa 2006 | Patients with FL were randomised to rituximab maintenance treatment or to observation. |
| Marin 2001 | No randomised controlled trial. |
| Martelli 1996 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Martelli 1999 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Martelli 2003 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Martinez 1995 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| McBride 1996 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Metzner 2002 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Moser 2005 | Patients with aggressive NHL were analysed. |
| Mounier 2000 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Olivieri 2005 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised |
| Pettengell 1996 | No randomised controlled trial. Patients with FL not mentioned separately. |
| Philip 1991 | Patients with FL not mentioned separately. |
| Philip 1995 | Patients with FL not mentioned separately. |
| Philip 1995a | Patients with FL not mentioned separately. |
| Proctor 2003 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Rabinowe 1990 | All randomised patients were treated with autologous bone marrow transplantation. |
| Rohatiner 1991 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Rohatiner 1994 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Rohatiner 1994a | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Santini 1991 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Santini 1997 | Patients with follicular lymphoma not mentioned separately. |
| Santini 1998 | Patients with aggressive NHL, and not follicular lymphoma, were randomised. |
| Sonnen 1998 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
| Sweetenham 2001 | Patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma, and not FL, were randomised. |
| Winter 2005 | Not a randomised controlled trial. |
FL: follicular lymphoma; NHL: non‐Hodgkin`s lymphoma.