Table 1. Characteristics of included studies.

Author, years	Study period	Group	Number of patients	Treatment strategy
Pless et al. 2015 (10)	2001–2012	ChRT+S	117	Three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (100 mg/m2 cisplatin and 85 mg/m2 docetaxel) followed by radiotherapy with 44 Gy in 22 fractions over 3 weeks. Surgery was scheduled 21–28 days after completion of radiotherapy
		ChT+S	115	Three cycles of 100 mg/m2 intravenous cisplatin and 85 mg/m2 docetaxel were given every 3 weeks. Surgery was scheduled 21 days after the last chemotherapy cycle
Katakami et al. 2012 (14)	2000–2006	ChRT+S	29	Two cycles of Docetaxel (60 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC =5) plus concurrent radiation therapy (40 Gy in 20 fractions of 2 Gy over 4 weeks) followed by surgery
		ChT+S	29	Two cycles of Docetaxel (60 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC =5) followed by surgery
Girard et al. 2010 (13)	2003–2007	ChRT+S	32*	One cycle of cisplatin (80 mg/m2) and vinorelbine (25 mg/m2) or carboplatin (AUC =6) and paclitaxel (200 mg/m2) followed by radiation (46 Gy) with concurrent cisplatin (80 mg/m2) and vinorelbine (15 mg/m2) or carboplatin (AUC =2) and paclitaxel (40 mg/m2), and then surgical resection
		ChT+S	14	Three cycles of cisplatin (80 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (1,250 mg/m2) followed by surgery
Thomas et al. 2008 (15)	1995–2003	ChRT+S	55	Three cycles of cisplatin (55 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2) followed by radiation (45 Gy) with concurrent carboplatin (100 mg/m2) and vindesine (3 mg absolute), and then surgical resection
		ChT+S	70	Three cycles of cisplatin (55 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2) followed by surgical resection

*, arm C (15 patients) was not chosen into meta-analysis of overall survival due to lack of available survival data. ChRT+S, chemoradiotherapy + surgery; ChT+S, chemotherapy + surgery; Gy, Gray; AUC, area under curve.