The pemetrexed-containing treatments in the non-small cell lung cancer, is -/low thymidylate synthase expression better than +/high thymidylate synthase expression: a meta-analysis

Table 2 Characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis

Study	All pts	TS detection method	Chemotherapy regimen	Ethnicity	TS expression	Evaluable for response	Disease stage	ECOGPS	TS high/+		TS low/-
									OR (pts)	Total pts	OR (pts)	Total pts
Bepler et al. [6]	52	RT-PCR	pemetrexed + gemcitabine	Caucasian	35	35	I-III	NR	5	17	7	18
Chang et al. [30]	110	IHC	pemetrexed	Asian	55	52	advanced or reoccurent	0-4	23	41	4	11
Chen et al. [21]	268	IHC	pemetrexed	Asian	49	42	IIIB-IV	NR	3	20	5	22
Park et.al [22]	98	IHC	pemetrexed	Asian	98	88	IB,IIIA-IV	NR	5	54	5	34
Takezawa et al. [18]	24	IHC	pemetrexed + platinum	Asian	24	24	IIIB-IV	0-1	1	12	6	12
Wang et al. [19]	38	RT-PCR	pemetrexed + platinum	Asian	38	38	IIIB-IV	0-1	2	10	11	28
Igawa et al. [31]	104	IHC	pemetrexed	Asian	54	54	IIIB-IV or reoccurent	0-3	0	23	5	31
Sun et al. [17]	285	IHC	pemetrexed	Asian	149	149	IIIB-IV	0-1	9	75	21	74
			pemetrexed + platinum	Asian	44	44	IIIB-IV	0-1	4	17	13	27

Abbreviations: TS thymidylate synthase, NR no report, IHC immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR real-time reverse transcriptase PCR, NSCLC non-small cell lung cancer, PTS patients.

ISSN: 1471-2407