Table 2 Therapeutic regimens, survival outcomes and toxicities in eligible studies

Fountzilas 2012 [8]

Epi 75 mg/m², Pac 175 mg/m² and DDP 75 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

2D-CRT, 3D-CRT

DDP 40 mg/m² every week

3-year: 66.6%|71.8%

3-year: 64.5%|63.5%

FE

FE

83%|85%

FE

Tan 2015 [9]

Gem 1000 mg/m², CBP area under the concentration-time-curve 2.5, and Pac 70 mg/m² (day 1 and 8) every 21 days for 3 cycles

2D-CRT, IMRT

DDP 40 mg/m² every week

3-year: 94.3%|92.3%

3-year: 74.9%|67.4%

3-year: 83.8%|79.9%

FE

FE

52%|37%^b

Sun/Li 2016/2019 [10] [11]

Doc 60 mg/m², DDP 60 mg/m² and 5-FU 600 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

IMRT

DDP 100 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

3-year: 92.1%|86.2%;

5-year: 85.6%|77.7%

3-year: 80.1%|72.0%;

5-year: 77.4%|66.4%

3-year: 88.8%|82.0%;

5-year: 88.0%|79.8%^b

3-year: 91.7%|87.4%;

5-year: 90.7%|83.8%^b

98.8%|100%

72.8%|53.8%

Cao/Yang 2017/2019 [12] [13]

DDP 80 mg/m² and 5-FU 800 mg/m² (day 1–5) every 21 days for 2 cycles

2D-CRT, IMRT

DDP 80 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

3-year: 88.2%|88.5%; 5-year: 80.8%|76.8%^b

3-year: 82.0%|74.1%; 5-year: 73.4%|63.1%^b

3-year: 86.0%|82.0%; 5-year: 82.8%|73.1%^b

3-year: 94.3%|90.8%; 5-year: 87.9%|85.0%

98.7%|99.2%

66.3%|49.1%^ab

Frikha 2018 [14]

Doc 75 mg/m², DDP 75 mg/m² and 5-FU 750 mg/m²/day day (1–5) every 21 days for 3 cycles

IMRT, non-IMRT

DDP 40 mg/m² every week

3-year: 86.3%|68.9%

3-year: 73.9%|57.2%

FE

FE

FE

FE

Hong 2018 [15]

Mit 8 mg/m², Epi 60 mg/m², and DDP 60 mg/m² on day 1, 5-FU 450 mg/m² and Leu 30 mg/m² on day 8

3D-CRT, IMRT

DDP 30 mg/m² every week

5-year: 72.0%|67.9%

5-year: 61.1%|50.0%

5-year: 76.2%|70.8%

5-year: 79.9%|70.0%

95.3%|92.5%

FE

Zhang 2019 [16]

Gem 1 g/m² (day 1 and 8) and DDP 80 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

IMRT

DDP 100 mg/m² every 21 days for 3 cycles

3-year: 94.6%|90.3%

3-year: 85.3%|76.5%

3-year: 91.1%|84.4%

3-year: 91.8%|91.0%

97.9%|98.7%

75.7%|55.7%