Table 1 Basic characteristics of included studies

Vermorken JB

RS

America

CRT: 57.8

BRT: 57

Stage III/IV

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

2-yrOS 1-yr PFS

Caudell JJ

RS

America

CRT: 55

BRT: 54

Stage III/V

BRT: 20.7 %

CRT: 22.3 %

CCRT VS. Concurrent RT+CET

NR

1-yr OS

2-yr OS

L.D. Koutcher

RS

America

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

16 (42 %)

8 (35 %)

30-mon PFS

30-mon OS

Jensen AD

RS

Germany

CRT: 38

BRT: 38

Stage III/IV

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

2-yr OS

2-yr PFS

2-yr L-PFS

2-yr D-PFS

Koutcher L

RS

America

CRT: 56

BRT: 66

Stage III/IV

CRT:17 (13.6 %)

BRT:11 (22.5 %)

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

2-yr FFS

2-yr OS

2-yr LRC

Beijer, Y.J.

RS

Netherland

Primary: 56

Primary: 64

Stage II-IV

CRT Primary: 37

CET Primary: 43

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

1-yr OS

1-yr DFS

2-year OS

2-yr DFS

LRR

Adjuvant: 59

Adjuvant: 56

CRT Adjuvant: 36

CET Adjuvant: 36

Ley J

RS

America

CRT: 55

BRT: 62

Stage III/IV

CRT: 16.7

BRT: 34.5

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

3-yr DSS

3-yr LRR

Ye AY

RS

Canada

CRT: 57

BRT: 62

Stage III/IV

CRT: 17

BRT: 14

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

3-yr OS

3-yr DFS

3-yr LRC

Pajares B

RS

Spain

p16

Negative: 59

p16 positive: 57

Stage III/IV

p16 Negative:7

p16 Positive: 6

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

10 (18 %)

8 (15 %)

2-yr OS

2-yr DFS

2-yr LRR

Lefebvre JL

Phase II RCT

France

CRT: 57.5

BRT: 57.8

Stage II-IV

CRT: 13.3

BRT: 1.7

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

18-mon OS

18-mon LRR

36-mon OS

M. Ghi

RCT

Italy

60

Stage III/IV

80.5

CCRT VS. Cet+RT

NR

3-yr OS

3-yr PFS

N. Riaz

RCT

America

NR

NR

NR

CCRT VS. Cet+RT

24 (56%)

11 (75%)

NR

Hu MH

RCT

Taiwan

CRT: 55

BRT: 78

Stage III/IV

CRT: 3.4

BRT: 3.7

CCRT VS. Cet+RT

LRR

3-yr RFS

3-yr OS

DM

Levy A

RCT

Germany

CRT: 58

BRT: 60

Stage III/IV

CRT: 20

BRT: 23

CCRT VS. BRT

NR

2-yr OS

2-yr LRC

2-yr DM

Tang C

RCT

America

CRT: 58

BRT: 73

Stage I-IV

CRT: 10

BRT: 1

CCRT VS. Concurrent Cet+RT

NR

2-yr LRC

2-yr EFS

2-yr OS

Fayette J

RS

France

56

Stage III/IV

10

CCRT VS. Concurrent Cet+RT

NR

5-yr OS

5-yr DFS

Huang J

RS

Japan

CRT: 55

BRT: 77

Stage III/IV

IMRT/

cisplatin: 13

IMRT/

cetuxima:19

IMRT/CIS VS. IMRT/CET

NR

LRC

DM

OS

CSS

Shapiro LQ

RS

America

NR

stage II-IV

CRT:13.1

BRT: 22.4

IMRT/CIS VS. IMRT/CET

NR

4-yr OS

4-yr LRF

M.R. Kanakamedala

RS

America

53

NR

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

LRC

3-yr OS

2-yr PFS

Riaz N

RS

America

NR

NR

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

NR

Riaz N

RS

America

NR

Stage III/IV

CRT: 21

BRT: 22

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

31 (86 %)

17 (74 %)

NR

Peddi P

RS

America

CRT: 55

BRT: 61

Stage III/IV

CRT: 26.7

BRT: 29.7

CCRT VS. Concurrent RT-CET

NR

2-yr OS

2-yr PFS

S.L.Galper

RS

America

CRT: 58

BRT: 71

NR

NR

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

NR

D.Borchiellini

RS

France

CRT: 56

BRT: 57

NR

CRT 16 %

BRT 8 %

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

NR

Lorraine Walsh

RS

Ireland

CRT: 57.5

BRT: 63

Stage III/IV

CRT : 9 %

BRT : 11.8 %

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

NR

Stefano Maria Magrini

RCT

America

CRT: 67.5

BRT: 61

Stage III/IV

CRT: 31 %

BRT:26 %

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

NR

2-yr OS

Tobin J. Strom

RS

America

CRT: 58

BRT: 62

Stage III/IV

CRT: 16.2

BRT: 5.3

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

43.4 %

41.2 %

2-yrOS

Nadeem Riaz

NR

America

CRT:

118 < 71

7 >71

BRT:

38 < 71

11>71

NR

CRT : 21 %

BRT: 22 %

RT-CIS VS. RT-CET

86

74

3-yr LRC 3-yr OS

3-yr PFS