Table 2.

Characteristics of the study population (n = 2619).

Study	Age (Years, Mean ± SD)		Sex (%Male)		Pathology (Patients, %)		Stage (Patients, %)			Chemotherapy	Radiotherapy (Total Dose, Gy)	Other Therapy (Patients, %)	Operation (Patients, %)
	Study	Control	Study	Control	Study	Control	Study	Control
ADULT POPULATION
Chemotherapy treatment
Mego M. et al. [24]	62 (median) 45–75 (range)	64 (median) 42–81 (range)	60.9	52.2	colon carcinoma 69.6 rectal carcinoma 30.4		N/A	N/A		study (percentage of patients): irinotecan weekly 60.9 irinotecan every 2 or 3 weeks 39.1 5-fluorouracil 52.2 capecitabine 0 control (percentage of patients): irinotecan weekly 60.9 irinotecan every 2 or 3 weeks 39.1 5-fluorouracil 52.2 capecitabine 8.7	N/A	antiemetics, analgesics study: cetuximab 17.4 bevacizumab 26.1 control: cetuximab 21.7 bevacizumab 30.4	study: resection of the primary tumor 65.2 colostomy 34.8 control: resection of the primary tumor 82.6 colostomy 34.8
Liu J. et al. [36]	62.1 ± 10.9	60.1 ± 9.9	68		gastric cancer colorectal cancer lung cancer lymphoma		N/A	N/A		CHOP regimen: cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2 i.v. 1 1 day, hydroxy daunorubicin 50 mg/m2 i.v. 1 day, oncovin 1.4 mg/m2 i.v. 1 day, prednisone 40 mg/m2 p.o. 1–5 days TP regimen fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy regimen	No	N/A	N/A
Radiotherapy treatment
Urbancsek H. et al. [22]	59	60	25	26	uterus cancer ovaries cancer prostate cancer rectum cancer lower abdomen cancer		N/A	N/A		No	50 (median) about 2 Gy daily	loperamide	N/A
Mansouri-Tehrani H.S. et al. [32]	63.73 ± 15.09	64.17 ± 11.69	67.4		colon and rectum 9 prostate 9 endometrium 4.5 bladder 6 ovary 3 cervical 1.5		colon and rectum 13.4 prostate 9 endometrial 3 bladder 6 ovary 1.5 cervical 3	N/A	N/A	N/A	40–50 1.8 Gy/day with 18 MV five fractions weekly for 4–5 weeks	N/A	N/A
Delia P. et al. [23]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	sigmoid cancer rectal cancer cervical cancer		N/A	N/A		No	60–70	N/A	surgery for sigmoid, rectal or cervical cancer
Delia P. et al. [29]	range 45–65		51		colorectal carcinoma 53 cervical carcinoma 47		N/A	N/A		No	60–70	N/A	surgical anterior resection 53 hysterectomy 47
Delia P. et al. [31]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	sigmoid cancer rectal cancer cervical cancer		N/A	N/A		No	adjuvant postoperative	loperamide	surgery for sigmoid, rectal or cervical cancer
Shao F. et al. [33]	60.2		48		abdominal tumour		N/A	N/A		N/A	<60	glutamine enteric capsule (0.25 g) p.o. 2 capsules 3 times a day fish oil soft capsule (1200 mg) p o. 3 times a day Peptisorb mixed with water	N/A
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment
Giralt J. et al. [18]	60.91 ± 11.80	59.34 ± 12.77	0		endometrial adenocarcinoma cervical squamous cell carcinoma		N/A	N/A		cisplatin i.v. 40 mg/m2 weekly (11 SG and 14 CG)	45–50.4 dose of 1.8–2 Gy/d, five times weekly for 5–6 weeks brachytherapy 2–3 weeks later	5-HT3 inhibitors	associated with cancer therapy
Linn YH. et al. [19]	57.38 ± 10.75	52.5 ± 9.61	0		squamous cell carcinoma adenocarcinoma anaplastic carcinoma cervical cancer		I B 7.7 II A 7.7 II B 46.2 III A 7.7 III B 26.9 IV A 3.8	I B 14.3 II A 3.6 II B 50 III A 14.3 III B 14.3 IV A 3.6		N/A	50.77 ± 2.72 study group 51.16 ± 3.43 Control group	N/A	study group 15 control group 14
Österlund P. et al. [28]	61	57	52	48	colorectal cancer		Dukes‘ stage B 28 C 56 Da16	Dukes‘ stage B 25 C 60 Da 15		levoleucovorin: 10/20 mg/m2 5-FU: 370–425 mg/m2 i.v. bolus on days 1–5 of the cycle, repeated at 4-week intervals for six times 2-h infusion of levoleucovorin 200/400 mg/m2 followed by 5-FU 400 mg/m2 administered as an intravenous bolus and 48-h infusion of 3.0–3.6 g m−2 5-FU; this cycle was repeated every 14 days for 12 times 24 weeks	50.4 1.8 Gy daily, 5.5 weeks	11 g guar gum metoclopramide, 5-HT3 inhibitors, dexpanthenol lozenges 100–200 mg 3 times a day, pyridoxine 50 mg 3 times a day	associated with cancer therapy
Sharma A. et al. [20]	52.35 ± 9.433	50.09 ± 10.038	93		HNSCC 2 nasopharynx 10.9 oropharynx 47.5 hypopharynx 28.7 larynx 11.9	HNSCC nasopharynx 11.1 oropharynx 50.5 hypopharynx 28.3 larynx 9.1 others 1.0	I 2.97 II 5.9 III 44.6 IV 46.5	I 5.1 II 4.0 III 41.4 IV 49.5		cisplatin 40 mg/m2 weekly for 7 doses at 5 fractions per week	70 in 35 fractions over 7 weeks	analgesics study group 30 control group 45	N/A
Chitapanarux I. et al. [21]	47	52	N/A		squamous cell carcinoma of cervix		FIGO IIB 53.1 IIIB 46.9	FIGO IIB 58.1 IIIB 41.9		cisplatin 40 mg/m2 weekly for 6 weeks	56 200 cGy per fraction, five fractions per week brachytherapy: 28, Iridium-192 700 cGy per fraction, 4 insertions	loperamide (2 mg)	No
Topuz E. et al. [34]	51	58	64.86		colon cancer 35.3 rectosigmoid cancer 64.7	colon cancer 55.0 rectosigmoid cancer 45.0	ECOG III 82.4 IV 5.9 unknown 11.8	ECOG II 35 III 50 IV 15		median 6 cycles FOLFOX: folinic acid, 5-FU and oxaliplatin FUFA: folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil	adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy	N/A	No
de Sanctis V. et al. [30]	58.4 range (34–74)	60 range (39–77)	77.9		head and neck carcinoma		IIA 6.3 III 15.6 IV A 3.1 IV B 9.4	II A 0 III 13.9 IV A 66.7 IV B 11.1		cisplatin-based 40 mg/m2 weekly or 100 mg/m2 3-weekly neoadjuvant chemotherapy (docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil every 21 days for three cycles (patients with nasopharyngeal cancer)	68–70 IMRT (macroscopic disease—intensity-modulated radiation therapy) 50–54 (low-risk regions)	cetuximab, biweekly	N/A
Jiang C. et al. [25]	51.69 ± 9.79	50.40 ± 10.25	63.79	60.00	nasopharyngeal carcinoma		T1 1.72 T2 17.24 T3 39.66 T4 41.38	T1 2.86 T2 8.57 T3 37.14 T4 51.43		cisplatin (100 mg/m2) three times during trial	70 in 32 fractions 2.19 Gy/d, 5 d/w; gross tumour volume) 60 in 32 fractions for 45 days; clinical target volume	oral cavity fungal infections: antifungal agents, soda water	N/A
Demers M. et al. [26]	Standard dose 61.4 High dose 62.0	60.6	standard dose 72 high dose 66	63	standard dose: prostate 32 endometrium 32 cervix 10 rectum 45 others 1 high dose: prostate 37 endometrium 8 cervix 7 rectum 41 others 7	prostate 30 endometrium 12 cervix 16 rectum 41 others 1	N/A	N/A		cervical cancers, cisplatin 40 mg/m2 rectal cancers, either 5-fluorouracil 225 mg/m2 in continuous perfusion or capsules of capecitabine (Xeloda) 825–1000 mg/m2 during the entire radiotherapy treatment	40–50.4 brachytherapy	N/A	N/A
Xia C. et al. [27]	range 18–70		N/A	N/A	nasopharyngeal carcinoma		N/A	N/A		cisplatin (100 mg/m2) on days 1, 22 and 43	32 fractions of 70 Gy radiotherapy (2.19 Gy/d, 5 d/wk) 32 fractions for 45 days (6–7 weeks in total)	N/A	N/A
CHILD POPULATION
Chemotherapy treatment
Reyna-Figueroa J. et al. [38]	10.8	10.7	63.3		acute lymphoblastic leukemia acute myeloblastic leukemia		high risk—56.7 usual risk—43.3	high risk— 60 usual risk— 40		prednisone p.o. 60 mg/m², 0 to 28 days; vincristine i.v. 2 mg/m², on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28; daunorubicin i.v. 30 mg/m², on days 0 and 14; L-asparagine i.m. 10,000 UI/m² on days 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22;	No	N/A	No
Wada M. et al. [35]	6.5	7.25	40		acute lymphoblastic leukemia 33.3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma 33.3 yolk sac tumor 22.2 Ewing sarcoma 11	acute lymphoblastic leukemia 50 acute myeloid leukemia 9.1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma 18.2 Hodgkin disease 9.1 primitive neuroectodermal tumor 9.1 leiomyosarcoma 4.5	N/A	N/A		N/A	No	polymyxin B sulfate and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim granulocyte colony stimulating factor	N/A
Radiotherapy treatment
Du S. et al. [37]	7.0	7.5	62.5	72.5	medulloblastoma 37.5 glioblastoma 30.0 ependymoma 21.2 astrocytoma 11.3	medulloblastoma 37.5 glioblastoma 30.0 ependymoma 21.2 astrocytoma 11.3	N/A	N/A		No	36 (CSI; range from 21 to 54 Gy) 1.5 (posterior fossa boost as; range from 1.5 to 1.8 Gy)	N/A	associated with cancer therapy

¹ i.v. intravenous; ² HNSCC head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.