Table 3.

Characteristics of randomized controlled trials on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer

First author	Starting year	Treatment—RT	Treatment—CT	RT—timing	Tumor type	Stages enrolled	Sample size CRT	Sample size S alone	Favors CRT (yes/no)	Type of resection
Lee et al. [26]	1999	45.6 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC	II–III	51	50	No	Thoraco-abdominal
Tepper et al. [24]	1997	50.4 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC (25%)/AC (75%)	I–III	30	26	Yes	Both
Burmeister et al. [21]	1994	35 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC (37%)/AC (62%)	I–III	128	128	No	Thoraco-abdominal (95%)
Walsh et al. [38]	1990	40 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC	Unknown	29	32	No	Unknown
Walsh et al. [30]	1990	40 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	AC	0–IVa	58	55	Yes	Both
Bosset et al. [20]	1989	37 Gy	CP	Sequential	SCC	I–IIb	143	139	No	Thoraco-abdominal
Urba et al. [29]	1989	45 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC (25%)/AC (75%)	I–IIIb	50	50	No	Transhiatal
Le Prise et al. [37]	1988	20 Gy	CP + 5FU	Sequential	SCC	I–II	41	45	No	Not stated
Apinop et al. [15]	1986	40 Gy	CP + 5FU	Concurrent	SCC	IIb–III	35	34	No	Thoraco-abdominal
Nygaard et al. [36]	1983	35 Gy	CP + bleomycin	Sequential	SCC	I–IIb	47	41	No	Thoraco-abdominal

RT radiotherapy, CT chemotherapy, CP cisplatinum, 5FU fluorouracil, AC adenocarcinoma, SCC squamous cell carcinoma

^aStaging done post-RT

^bStage extrapolated from tumor size