Study	Reason for exclusion
Abdelrazik 2007	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Alexopoulos 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Antonadou 2001	no access to the individual patient data
Aravantinos 2003	too small for inclusion
Auerbach 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Aziz 2001	too small for inclusion
Bamias 2003	no access to the individual patient data
Beggs 2003	too small for inclusion
Bessho 1997	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Bindi 2004	too small for inclusion
Blayney 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Blohmer 2003	no access to the individual patient data
Candelaria 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Canon 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Carabantes 1999	too small for inclusion
Casadevall 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Cascinu 1994	no access to the individual patient data
Cazzola 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Chan 1995	too small for inclusion
Charu 2007a	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Christodoulakis 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Crawford 1997	too small for inclusion
Crawford 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Crawford 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Daneryd 1998	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Dannemann 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Del Mastro 1997	too small for inclusion
Dunphy 1999	too small for inclusion
Elsaid 2001	too small for inclusion
Freeman 2006	too small for inclusion
Garton 1995	too small for inclusion
Gebbia 1992	too small for inclusion
Glaspy 2002	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Glaspy 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Glaspy 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Glaspy 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Glimelius 1998	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Glossmann 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Granetto 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Hedenus 2002	too small for inclusion
Hedenus 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Hellström Lindberg 1998	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Henke 1999	too small for inclusion
Henry 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Henry 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Henry 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Henze 2002	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Hesketh 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Iconomou 2003	no access to the individual patient data
Italian 1998	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Janinis 2003	no access to the individual patient data
Jitnuyanont 2001	too small for inclusion
Johansson 2001	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Justice 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Kettelhack 1998	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Kosmadakis 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Kotasek 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Kotasek 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Kunikane 2001	too small for inclusion
Kurz 1997	too small for inclusion
Mangiameli 2002	too small for inclusion
Marinaccio 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Merlano 2001	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
MF4266	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Miller 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Morishima 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Mystakidou 2005	no access to the individual patient data
Olsson 2002	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Overgaard 2007	no access to the individual patient data
Pierelli 1999	too small for inclusion
Policarpo 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Porter 1996	too small for inclusion
Rau 1998	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Rearden 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Reed 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Rosen 2003	too small for inclusion
Rosenzweig 2004	too small for inclusion
Rubio‐Martinez 2003	too small for inclusion
Sakai 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Schwartzberg 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Schwartzberg 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Schwartzberg 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Scott 2002	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Senecal 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Shi 2007	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Silvestris 1995	too small for inclusion
Smith 2003	too small for inclusion
Spicka 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Steensma 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Stein 1991	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Straus 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Sweeney 1998	too small for inclusion
Thompson 2000	ineligible patient characteristics (e.g. with MDS or SAA)
Throuvalas 2000	too small for inclusion
Tsukuda 1998	too small for inclusion
Varan 1999	too small for inclusion
Wagner 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Waltzman 2005	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Watanabe 2006	no access to the individual patient data
Welch 1995	too small for inclusion
Wurnig 1996	too small for inclusion
Yilmaz 2004	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Zagari 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Zajda 2007	no access to the individual patient data
Zhang 2003	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised
Zhou 2006	ESAs were given in context with surgery, stem cell transplantation, compared different ESA dosages or ESA products (epoetin versus darbepoetin), or trials were not randomised