Comparison 1. Overall survival.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1.1 Overall survival ‐ randomised patients ‐ all trials	36	7147	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.83, 0.93]
1.1.1 Question 1: Regimen A (single) versus Regimen A + other	25	4935	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.83, 0.94]
1.1.2 Question 2: Regimen A (single) versus Regimen C (combination)	11	2212	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.86 [0.78, 0.96]
1.2 Overall survival ‐ randomised patients ‐ first line	21	3982	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.81, 0.94]
1.2.1 Question 1: Regimen A (single) versus Regimen A + other	14	2820	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.80, 0.96]
1.2.2 Question 2: Regimen A (single) versus Regimen C (combination)	7	1162	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.75, 1.01]
1.3 Overall survival ‐ Question 1 ‐ Regimen A versus A + other ‐ randomised patients	25	4935	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.83, 0.94]
1.3.1 Sub group A: Single anthracycline agent versus anthracycline + other regimen	14	2897	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.87, 1.04]
1.3.2 Sub group B: Single alkylating versus alkylating + other	5	375	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.91 [0.72, 1.15]
1.3.3 Sub group C: Single antimetabolite versus antimetabolite + other	3	279	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.62 [0.46, 0.82]
1.3.4 Sub group D: Single taxane versus taxane + other	3	1384	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.72, 0.91]
1.4 Overall survival ‐ Question 2 ‐ Regimen A versus Regimen C ‐ randomised patients	10	1952	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.78, 0.97]
1.4.1 Sub group E: Single anthracycline agent versus non‐anthracycline combination regimen	2	88	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.57 [0.33, 0.98]
1.4.2 Sub group F: Single taxane versus non‐taxane, non‐anthracycline containing combination regimen	5	1262	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.73, 0.95]
1.4.3 Sub group G: Single non‐taxane, non‐anthracycline agent versus other combination regimen	3	602	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	1.06 [0.85, 1.33]
1.5 Overall survival ‐ single agent taxane versus all combination	8	2646	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.75, 0.89]
1.6 Overall survival ‐ single agent anthracycline versus all combinations	16	2985	Hazard Ratio (Exp[(O‐E) / V], Fixed, 95% CI)	0.94 [0.86, 1.02]