Table 1. Characteristics of including studies.

Study	Inclusion period	median follow-up, m [range]	Multi-center	Study arms	Patients (n)	Median, age, years, [range]	Gender, M:F	Staging criteria	Stage I/II/III/IV
Cao et al. 2017	2008.6–2015.2	50 [3–94]	Yes	PF + CCRT; CCRT alone	238; 238	44 [19–65]; 42 [21–66]	173:65; 190:48	AJCC/UICC 6th edition	0/1/117/120; 0/0/133/105
Sun et al. 2016	2011.3–2013.8	45 [39–49]	Yes	TPF + CCRT; CCRT alone	241; 239	42 [36–49]; 44 [39–50]	193:48; 174:65	AJCC/UICC 7th edition	0/0/129/112; 0/0/133/106
Jin et al. 2016	2012.4–2014.4	36 [24–48]	Yes	TPF + CCRT; PF + CCRT	138; 138	48 [18–68]; 50 [25–69]	99:39; 98:40	AJCC/UICC 7th edition	0/0/86/52; 0/0/94/64
Huang et al. 2013	2010.1–2010.6	20 [13–29]	No	TP + CCRT; PF + CCRT	40; 40	42 [18–63]; 44 [19–66]	28:12; 31:9	AJCC/UICC 6th edition	0/0/13/27; 0/0/17/23
Hui et al. 2009	2002.11–2004.11	51	Yes	TP + CCRT; CCRT alone	34; 31	50 [31–70]; 45 [32–70]	21:13; 24:7	AJCC/UICC 5th edition	0/0/19/15; 0/0/19/12
Frikha et al. 2017	2009–2012	43.1	Yes	TPF + CCRT; CCRT alone	40; 41	46; 48	28:12; 32:9	AJCC/UICC 6th edition	NA
Gao et al. 2013	2008.5–2009.6	42†	No	PF + CCRT; CCRT alone	57; 55	[18–60]	43:14; 39:16	Fuzhou 1992	0/0/14/43; 0/0/11/44

^†, all patients follow-up over 3 years. N, number; M, male; F, female; NA, not available; m, months; AJCC/UICC, The International Union against Cancer/American Joint Committee on Cancer; Fuzhou 1992, the Fuzhou staging system (1992) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma; PF, induction chemotherapy regimen of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil; TP, induction chemotherapy regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin; TPF, induction chemotherapy regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil; CCRT, concurrent chemoradiotherapy.