Skip to main content
. 2020 Nov 19;2020(11):CD012078. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012078.pub2

Ling 2018.

Study characteristics
Methods Single‐centre RCT
Study enrolment commenced 1st January 2010 and follow‐up ended 26th September 2015
Participants Disease: advanced GC confirmed by oesophago‐gastro‐duodenoscopy or post‐surgical pathology, including those inoperable or relapsed/metastasis after surgery
Previous treatment status: disease progression after DCF chemotherapy
Number of participants: 107 enrolled between 1st January 2010 and 1st June 2013
Median age: 53 (31 to 71) years
Number of male participants: 70
ECOG PS status: 81 PS0‐1 and 26 PS2
Extent of disease: 46 locally advanced and 61 metastatic
Study locations: single centre in China
Other relevant key eligibility criteria were: adequate routine bloods including liver and kidney function; normal ECG
Interventions Arm A (56 participants): intravenous epirubicin 50 mg/m² on Day 1, intravenous oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² on Day 1 and oral capecitabine 625 mg/m² twice daily D1‐14 of 21‐day cycle
Arm B (51 participants): intravenous irinotecan 180 mg/m² on Day 1, intravenous leucovorin 400 mg/m² on Day 1, intravenous 5‐FU, 400mg/m² on Day 1 over 24 hours of 14‐day cycle
Outcomes Endpoints: RR, DCR, safety, PFS, OS
Notes Text in Chinese. No HR was reported.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Randomisation was performed using a digit randomisation table
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Unable to assess on the published full text
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes Unclear risk Unable to assess on the published full text
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes Unclear risk Unable to assess on the published full text
Imbalance in baseline characteristics across arms (confounding) Low risk The baseline characteristics of patients in the different groups were similar with regard to age, sex ratio, ECOG PS, surgical history, disease stage, histological subtype, and number of metastatic organs.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) for outcomes other than QoL Low risk Efficacy analyses were performed on intention‐to‐treat population (all the randomised participants)
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) for QoL outcome Low risk Not relevant
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk No protocol was available, however, all important outcomes were reported
Other bias Low risk No obvious potential source of bias