. 2021 Mar 15;11:5939. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85131-7

Table 3.

Summary table of the pooled grade ≥ 3 toxicity rates.

Pooled toxicity rates (grade ≥ 3)
	Concurrent chemoradiation	Sequential chemoradiation	Curative RT without chemotherapy	Palliative RT
Treatment related deaths	3.1% (28 trials)	2.4% (9 trials)	1.7% (4 trials)	0% (2 trials)
Treatment related deaths	RR 0.78 (CI 0.49–1.25)*		N/A
Oesophagitis (grade ≥ 3)	15.2% (32 trials)	6.4% (9 trials)	0.5% (4 trials)	0.6% (3 trials)
Oesophagitis (grade ≥ 3)	RR 0.42 (CI 0.32–0.54)*		N/A
Pneumonitis (grade ≥ 3)	6.6% (28 trials)	6.9% (11 trials)	1.1% (4 trials)	N/A (0 trial)
Pneumonitis (grade ≥ 3)	RR 1.07 (CI 0.83–1.39)*		N/A
Neutropenia (grade ≥ 3)	45.7% (19 trials)	34.4% (5 trials)	N/A	N/A
Neutropenia (grade ≥ 3)	RR 0.75 (CI 0.65–0.87)*		N/A
Cardiac (grade ≥ 3)	3.4% (9 trials)	1.9% (5 trials)	2.0% (1 trial)	2.1% (1 trial)
Cardiac (grade ≥ 3)	RR 0.56 (CI 0.29–1.11)*		N/A
Pulmonary fibrosis (grade ≥ 3)	1.9% (2 trials)	N/A (0 trial)	3.9% (5 trials)	N/A (0 trial)
Pulmonary fibrosis (grade ≥ 3)	N/A		N/A
Myelopathy (grade ≥ 3)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Myelopathy (grade ≥ 3)	N/A		N/A

RR* Risk ratio of sequential versus concurrent, CI Confidence interval, N/A Not applicable.