Table 1.
Summary of the studies included in the network meta-analysis
| Study | Study country/region | Comparison | Inclusion period | Median follow-up, months | No of patients | Stage | Radiotherapy | Chemotherapy
|
Jadad scores | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Induction | Concurrent | Adjuvant | |||||||||
| Al-Sarraf et al2 | USA | CCRT + AC vs RT | 1989–1995 | 32 | 185 | AJCC III–IV M0 | Primary tumor 70 Gy, negative nodes 50 Gy, positive nodes 66–70 Gy | 3*q3wk DDP 100 mg/m2 | 3*q4wk 80 mg/m2 DDP d1 + 5-FU 1 g/m2 d1−4 | 2 | |
| Lin et al4 | Taiwan | CCRT vs RT | 1993–1999 | 65 | 284 | AJCC III–IV M0 | Primary tumor and positive nodes 70–74 Gy, neck 50–60 Gy | 2*q4wk DDP 20 mg/m2 d1−4 + 5-FU 400 mg/m2 d1−4 | 2 | ||
| Chan et al34 | Hong Kong | CCRT vs RT | 1994–1999 | 66 | 350 | AJCC II–IV M0 | Nasopharynx 66 Gy, parapharyngeal extension 10–20 Gy boost, residual neck nodes and/or residual nasopharyngeal disease 24 Gy boost (brachytherapy) | 8*qwk DDP 40 mg/m2 d1 | 3 | ||
| Wee et al5 | Singapore | CCRT + AC vs RT | 1997–2003 | 38.4 | 221 | AJCC II–IV M0 | Primary tumor 70 Gy, neck 60 Gy, positive nodes 10 Gy boost | 3*q3wk DDP 25 mg/m2 d1−4 | 3*q4wk DDP 20 mg/m2/d1−4 + 5-FU 1 g/m2 d1−4 | 3 | |
| Hui et al6 | Hong Kong | IC + CCRT vs CCRT | 2002–2004 | 51.6 | 65 | AJCC III–IVB M0 | Primary tumor 66 Gy, residual boost of 7.5 Gy and parapharyngeal boost of 20 Gy | 2*q3wk docetaxel 75 mg/m2 d1 + DDP 75 mg/m2 d1 | 8*qwk DDP 40 mg/m2 | 3 | |
| Lee et al7 | Hong Kong | CCRT + AC vs RT | 1999–2004 | 70.8 | 348 | AJCC III–IV, any T, N2–3, M0 | Primary tumor ≥66 Gy, neck ≥50 Gy, boost ≤20 Gy when indicated | 3*q3wk DDP 100 mg/m2 | 3*q4wk 80 mg/m2 DDP d1 + 5-FU 1 g/m2 d1−4 | 3 | |
| Fountzilas et al8 | European countries | IC + CCRT vs CCRT | 2003–2008 | 55 | 141 | AJCC IIB–IVB | Primary tumor 66–70 Gy, clinically involved nodes <3 cm, 60 Gy, nodes ≥3 cm 70 Gy and 50 Gy to uninvolved cervical and supraclavicular areas | 3*q3wk epirubicin 75 mg/m2, paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 d1 + DDP 75 mg/m2 d2 | 7*qwk DDP 40 mg/m2 | 3 | |
| Lee et al9 | South and East Asian countries | CCRT + AC vs RT | 1999–2004 | 75.6 | 93 | AJCC III–IV, T3–4, N0–1, M0 | Primary tumor ≥66 Gy, neck ≥50 Gy, boost ≤20 Gy when indicated | 3*q3wk DDP 100 mg/m2 | 3*q4wk 80 mg/m2 DDP d1 + 5-FU 1 g/m2 d1−4 | 3 | |
| Chen et al10 | People’s Republic of China | CCRT + AC vs CCRT | 2006–2010 | 38 | 508 | AJCC III–IV, any T, any N, M0, except T3–4N0 | Primary tumor ≥66 Gy, involved neck 60–66 Gy, 50 Gy for potential sites | 7*qwk DDP 40 mg/m2 | 3*q4wk DDP 80 mg/m2 d1 + 5-FU 800 mg/m2/d1−5 | 3 | |
| Chen et al11 | People’s Republic of China | CCRT + AC vs RT | 2002–2005 | 70 | 316 | AJCC III–IV, any T, any N, M0 | Primary tumor ≥66 Gy, involved neck 60–66 Gy, 50 Gy for potential sites | 3*q3wk DDP 100 mg/m2 | 3*q4wk DDP 80 mg/m2 d1 + 5-FU 800 mg/m2/d1−5 | 3 | |
| Wu et al35 | People’s Republic of China | CCRT vs RT | 2001–2003 | 114 | 115 | AJCC III–IV, any T, N2–3, M0 | Primary tumor 70–74 Gy, involved neck 60–64 Gy, uninvolved neck 50 Gy | 6*qwk Oxaliplatin 70 mg/m2 | 2 | ||
Abbreviations: CCRT, concurrent chemoradiotherapy; IC, induction chemotherapy; AC, adjuvant chemotherapy; RT, radiotherapy; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; DDP, cisplatin; FU, fluorouracil; qwk, every week; q3wk, every 3 weeks; q4wk, every 4 weeks.