Table 1. Selected characteristics of the trials used in the analysis.
|
Treatment armsa
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial (first author & reference) | Country | Year of patient recruitmentb | Group 1 | Group 2 | No. of patients randomised |
| Muss et al (1978) | USA | 1976–1976 | FMC+VP | FAC+VP | 175 |
| Fritze et al (1982) | Germany | 1975 | FAC+VM+C. parvum | FAC+VM | 156 |
| Smalley et al (1983) | USA | 1974–1977 | FMC+VP | FAC | 362 |
| Steiner et al (1983) | USA | 1977–1980 | FAC+MV | FAC+M | 119 |
| Tormey et al (1984) | USA | 1974– | (a) FMC+VPc | FAC+VP | 396 |
| (b) FMC+VPd | |||||
| Vogel et al (1984) | USA | <1982 | FAC+VM, Leucovorin, Cytosine arabinside | FAC | 187 |
| Boccardo et al (1985) | Italy | 1978–1982 | FAC+Tamoxifen | FAC+MV | 81 |
| Cummings et al (1985) | USA | 1978–1979 | FMC+P | FAC | 177 |
| Carpenter et al (1986) | USA | 1978–1982 | FAC+Levamisole | FAC | 105 |
| Aisner et al (1987) | USA | 1976–1980 | (a) FMC | FAC | 432 |
| (b) FAC+VP | |||||
| Falkson et al (1987) | USA, S. Africa | 1968–1983 | FAC+oophorectomy | FAC | 86 |
| Hortobagyi et al (1987a) | USA | 1978–1981 | High dose FAC+protected environment | Low dose FAC+ambulatory care | 63 |
| Hortobagyi et al (1987b) | USA | 1979–1980 | FAC+vaccine | FAC | 133 |
| Bennett et al (1988) | USA | 1983–1985 | FNC | FAC | 333 |
| French Epirubicin Study Group (1988) | France | 1982–1984 | FEC | FAC | 263 |
| Lopez et al (1989) | Italy | 1983–1985 | FEC | FAC | 102 |
| Falkson et al (1991) (B122) | USA, S. Africa | 1972– | FMC | FAC | 78 |
| Falkson et al (1991) (B141) | USA | 1974– | FMC+AV, dibromodulcitol | FAC | 94 |
| French Epirubicin Study Group (1991) | France | <1990 | (a) FEC (75 mg/m2)e | FEC (50 mg/m2)e | 412 |
| (b) E (75 mg/m2)e | |||||
| Falkson et al (1992) | S. Africa | <1992 | mitomycin C+PA | FAC | 34 |
| Speyer et al (1992) | USA | 1984–1989 | ICRF-187+ FAC | FAC | 150 |
| Ejlertsen et al (1993) | Denmark | 1986–1989 | FEC 18 months | FEC 6 months | 359 |
| Paridaens et al (1993) | Belgium | 1983–1987 | FAC+ ethinylestradiol | FAC | 165 |
| Pouillart et al (1994) | France | 1983–1984 | FNC | FAC | 142 |
| Alonso et al (1995) | Spain | 1988–1991 | FNC | FAC | 100 |
| Pavesi et al (1995) | Italy | 1987–1989 | FNC | FEC | 152 |
| Pierga et al (1995) | France | 1990–1993 | FAC (15 mg/m2)e | FAC (50 mg/m2)e | 258 |
| Conte et al (1996) | Italy | 1985–1990 | FEC+D | FEC | 258 |
| Pfeiffer et al (1996) | Denmark | 1985 | FEC+Concurrent Tamoxifen | FEC+Sequential Tamoxifen | 273 |
| Stewart et al (1997) | Canada | 1982–1988 | FNC | FAC | 249 |
| Esteban et al (1999) | Spain | 1987–1993 | FNC | FEC | 151 |
| French Epirubicin Study Group (2000) | France | 1987–1994 | FEC (100 mg/m2)e then FEC (50 mg/m2)e | FEC (75 mg/m2)e | 417 |
| FEC (100 mg/m2)e | |||||
| Pacini et al (2000) | Italy | 1991–1996 | EM±lonidamine | FEC±lonidamine | 326 |
| Riccardi et al (2000) | Italy | 1995–1997 | FEC (120 mg/m2)e | FEC (60 mg/m2)e | 74 |
| Sledge et al (2000) | USA | 1988–1992 | FAC+tamoxifen, fluoxymesterone | FAC | 231 |
| Ackland et al (2001) | Australia | 1990–1992 | FMC | FEC | 460 |
| Hori et al (2001) | Japan | 1993–1996 | Doxifluridine, C, ‘PA’ | FAC+‘PA’ | 99 |
| Jassem et al (2001) | E. Europe, Israel, Russia | <2000 | A, Paclitaxel | FAC | 267 |
| Mackey et al (2002) | USA | 1998–1999 | Docetaxel,AC | FAC | 484 |
| Heidemann et al (2002) | Germany | 1992–1997 | N | FEC | 260 |
| Parnes et al (2003) | USA | 1991–1995 | FAC+leucovorin | FAC | 241 |
| Zielinski et al (2005) | International | 1999–2002 | Gemcitabine, Paclitaxel, E | FEC | 259 |
a
F (5-fluorouracil); A (adriamycin/doxorubicin); C (cyclophosphamide); E (epirubicin); M (methotrexate); V (vincristine); P (prednisone); N (Novantrone/mitoxantrone); ‘PA’ (medroxyprogesterone acetate); D (diethulstillbestrol).
b
If not reported, it is taken to be the year before the article was published.
cTherapy given continuously.
dTherapy given intermittently.
eThe dose of epirubicin or doxorubicin is given in brackets.