| Methods |
Multicentre RCT
2 arms
Quality score: B |
| Participants |
n = 334 participants with adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastro‐oesophageal junction
Median age: 55 years
Metastatic disease: 68%
ECOG 2‐3: 18% |
| Interventions |
ECF: epirubicin 50 mg/m² d 1, repeated at d 22; cisplatin 60 mg/m² d 1, repeated at d 22, 5‐FU CI 300 mg/m² continuously
versus
MCF: mitomycin 7 mg/m² d 1, repeated at d 43; cisplatin 60 mg/m² d 1, repeated at d 22, 5‐FU CI 300 mg/m² continuously |
| Outcomes |
Median survival
Response rates
Quality of life
Toxicity |
| Notes |
The original study included 580 participants with inoperable adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or undifferentiated carcinoma of the oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction or stomach. Information on participants with gastric and gastro‐oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma only was provided by the first author and is included in the meta‐analysis. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Query (correspondence) to first author was not answered |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Query (correspondence) to first author was not answered |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
efficacy |
Low risk |
ITT |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
safety |
Low risk |
ITT |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Report includes all expected outcomes |
| Other bias |
Unclear risk |
N/A |
| Blinded review of CT/MRI‐scans? |
High risk |
Not done per first author correspondence |
