Thuss‐Patience 2005.

Methods	Multicentre RCT 2 arms Quality score: A
Participants	n = 90 Median age: 62.5 years Metastatic disease: 98% ECOG 2‐3: 3%
Interventions	DF: docetaxel 75 mg/m² d 1 + FU 200 mg/m²/day as a 24‐hour continuous infusion d 1‐21, repeated at d 22 versus ECF: epirubicin 50 mg/m² d 1 + cisplatin 60 mg/m² d 1 + FU 200 mg/m²/as a 24‐hour continuous infusion d 1‐21, repeated at d 22
Outcomes	Tumour response Median survival Median time to progression Toxicity
Notes	Phase II study The trial was not intended and not statistically powered to perform a head‐to‐head comparison of response rate and toxicity of the 2 treatment arms. ECF serves as an internal control arm to avoid selection bias.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Random numbers
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Central allocation
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) efficacy	Low risk	Analysis of the full analysis set
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) safety	Low risk	Analysis of the full analysis set
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Report includes all expected outcomes
Other bias	High risk	The trial was not intended and not statistically powered to perform a head‐to‐head comparison of response rate and toxicity of the 2 treatment arms, ECF serves as an internal control arm to avoid selection bias.
Blinded review of CT/MRI‐scans?	Low risk	Tumour response was assessed together with an independent radiologist