Table 1.

Characteristics of the included studies

Author	Country	Year	Study design	Stage	Total no.	MSI-H	MSS	MSI determination	Survival information	Chemotherapy
Alex, A.K [12]	Brazil	2017	Non-RCT	IV	126	42	84	IHC + PCR	OS	Oxaliplatin-based
Bertagnolli [10]	USA	2009	RCT	III	702	96	606	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	FU/LV/IFL
Chouhan [13]	Australia	2018	Non-RCT	III	686	95	591	IHC + PCR	CSS	NA
des Guetz [14]	France	2007	Non-RCT	IV	40	9	31	PCR	OS	FOLFOX
Drucker [15]	Canada	2013	Non-RCT	III	159	18	141	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFOX/capecitabine
Elsaleh [16]	Australia	2001	Non-RCT	III	732	63	669	PCR	OS	5-FU/levamisole
Fujiyoshi [17]	Japan	2017	Non-RCT	IV	401	15	386	PCR	OS	NA
Guidoboni [7]	Italy	2001	Non-RCT	III	54	20	34	PCR	OS	5-FU
Hemminki [18]	Finland	2000	Non-RCT	III	95	11	84	PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU-based
Jover [19]	Spain	2006	Non-RCT	III	209	18	191	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU-based
Jung [20]	Korea	2016	Non-RCT	III	60	19	41	PCR	CSS	NA
Kim, C.G [21].	Korea	2016	Non-RCT	III	2940	261	2679	PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU/LV/FOLFOX
Kim, J.E [22].	Korea	2011	Non-RCT	IV	197	23	174	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFIRI/XELIRI
Kim, J.E [23].	Korea	2017	Non-RCT	III and IV	795	73	722	PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFOX
Kim, S.H [24].	Korea	2013	Non-RCT	III	394	26	368	PCR	DFS	FOLFOX
Klingbiel, D [6].	Switzerland	2015	RCT	III	859	104	755	PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU/LV/FOLFIRI
Li, P [25].	China	2017	Non-RCT	III and IV	599	54	545	IHC	OS, DFS	FOLFOX/XELOX
Liu [26]	China	2018	Non-RCT	IV	461	30	431	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	NA
Ma, J [27].	China	2015	Non-RCT	IV	184	34	150	IHC	OS, PFS	FOLFIRI/irinotecan
Malesci, A [28].	Italy	2007	Non-RCT	III	264	27	237	PCR	DSS	5-FU
Mohan, H.M [29].	Ireland	2016	Non-RCT	III	320	32	288	IHC + PCR	OS, DSS	NA
Nopel-Dunnebacke [30]	Germany	2014	RCT	IV	204	14	190	IHC + PCR	OS, PFS	CAPOX/FUFOX
Nordholm-Carstensen [31]	Denmark	2015	RCT	IV	935	75	860	IHC	OS	NA
Oh, S.Y [32].	Korea	2013	Non-RCT	III	127	16	111	PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFOX
Sasaki, Y [33].	Japan	2016	RCT	III	304	23	281	IHC	OS, RFS	UFT
Sinicrope, F. A [34]	USA	2011	RCT	III	1363	180	1183	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU-based
Sinicrope, F.A [35].	USA	2013	RCT	III	2580	314	2266	IHC + PCR	DFS	FOLFOX-based
Taieb, J [36].	France	2016	RCT	III	1791	177	1614	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFOX ± cetuximab
Tan, W. J [37].	Singapore	2018	Non-RCT	III	299	27	272	IHC	DSS, RFS	5FU/capecitabine ± oxaliplatin
Tran, B [38].	Australia	2011	Non-RCT	IV	350	40	310	IHC + PCR	OS	NA
Venderbosch, S [8].	Netherlands	2014	RCT	III	3063	153	2910	IHC	OS, PFS	NA
Watanbe [39]	USA	2000	Non-RCT	III	229	73	156	PCR	OS, DFS	5-FU–based
Westra, J. L. [40]	UK	2005	RCT	III	273	229	44	PCR	DFS	5-FU–based
Wright, C.M [41].	Australia	2000	Non-RCT	III	238	21	217	PCR	OS	NA
Zaanan, A [42].	France	2010	Non-RCT	III	233	32	201	IHC + PCR	DFS	FOLFOX
Zaanan, A [43].	France	2011	Non-RCT	III	303	34	269	IHC + PCR	OS, DFS	FOLFOX

MSI-H microsatellite instability-high, MSS microsatellite stable, RCT randomized controlled trial, IHC immunohistochemistry, PCR polymerase chain reaction, OS overall survival, DFS disease-free survival, DSS disease-specific survival, CSS cancer-specific survival, RFS recurrence-free survival, FU fluorouracil, LV leucovorin, IFL irinotecan + fluorouracil + leucovorin, 5-FU 5-fluorouracil, FOLFOX 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + oxaliplatin, FOLFIRI 5-fluorouracil + irinotecan + leucovorin, XELOX xeloda + oxaliplatin, CAPOX capecitabine + oxaliplatin, FUFOX fluorouracil + fludarabine + oxaliplatin, UFT tegafur