Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for inclusion.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies that compared NCRT followed by surgery with surgery alone were eligible for inclusion. Neoadjuvant modalities were cisplatin-based chemotherapy with or without fluorouracil, bleomycin or vinblastine. The dose of radiotherapy ranged from 20 to 45 Gy, given over 2 to 4 weeks. Where reported, the surgical techniques used were thoracoabdominal resection and/or transhiatal resection.
Participants included in the review
Studies of participants with oesophageal carcinoma were eligible for inclusion. The type of cancer in the included studies was squamous, adenocarcinoma, or both, and the stage of disease ranged from 0 to IV.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The primary outcome of interest was overall survival. All included studies reported overall survival and results for either 3- or 5-year survival.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers selected studies for inclusion.