Table 3.
Results according to the radiotherapy scheme used.
| RTa scheme (number of papers) | Significant–non-significantb/total no. of reports [references] |
Notes [references] |
|---|---|---|
| Split-course (11) | Significant: 9/11 (81.8%) [7,26,32,40,47,51,57,59,62] NS: 2/11 (18.2%) [19,34] |
All reports have mixed split-course and continuous RTa patients, except [26], in which patients are treated only with split-course and then compared with historical continuous RTa series. Data from previous randomized trials DAHANCA 2 and 5 (Phase-III trials, both) [47] |
| Accelerated fractionation (7) | Significant: 5/7 (71.4%) [36,38,48,50,60] NS: 2/7 (28.6%) [21,39] |
Simple randomization (70 pts) [38] All Phase-III trials [21,36,39,48,50] |
| Other than before* (39) | Significant: 39/43 (90.7%) [8–18,22–25,27–31,33,35,37,41–46,49,52,54–56,61,63–66] NS: 4/43 (9.3%) [20,53,58,67] |
Data from RTOG 79-13 and 79-15 (both Phase III, hyperfraction.) [43] Data from RTOG 83-13 (randomized Phase I-II trial, hyperfraction). [44] Data from multicenter prospective randomized clinical trials [15] Data from 2 randomized trials from the British Institute of Radiology fractionation study [23] Prospective non-randomized single-arm study [46] SEERc – Medicare linked database analysis [55] Pooled-data reports [8,9,27,45] |
a
RT, radiotherapy
b
NS, non-significant.
c
SEER: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results.
*
Mostly maintain the overall treatment time within limits that can be considered standard.