TABLE 1

General characteristics of the trials

First author [ref.]	Year	Journal	Company^#	Disease stage	Standard arm	Experimental arm(s)
First-line setting
Negoro [13]	2003	Br J Cancer	3	IIIB–IV	Cisplatin+vindesine	Irinotecan
Rosell [14]	2002	Ann Oncol	2	III–IV	Cisplatin+paclitaxel	Carboplatin+paclitaxel
Fossella [15]	2003	J Clin Oncol	3	IIIB–IV	Cisplatin+vinorelbine	Cisplatin+docetaxel Carboplatin+docetaxel
Ohe [16]	2007	Ann Oncol	3	IIIB–IV	Cisplatin+irinotecan	Carboplatin+paclitaxel Cisplatin+gemcitabine Cisplatin+vinorelbine
Novello [17]	2007	Ann Oncol	1	IV	Cisplatin+gemcitabine (2 cycles) followed by 3 further cycles in nonprogressive patients	Cisplatin-gemcitabine (2 cycles) followed by 3 cycles of gemcitabine in nonprogressive patients
Park [18]	2007	J Clin Oncol	1	IIIB–IV	4 cycles of cisplatin-based CT in patients nonprogressive after 2 cycles	2 cycles of cisplatin based CT in patients nonprogressive after 2 cycles
Scagliotti [19]	2008	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Cisplatin+gemcitabine	Cisplatin+pemetrexed
Heymach [20]	2008	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Carboplatin+paclitaxel	Vandetanib Vandetanib+paclitaxel+carboplatin (superiority assumption for this arm)
Mok [21]	2009	N Engl J Med	2	IIIB–IV	Carboplatin+paclitaxel	Gefitinib
Okamoto [22]	2010	J Clin Oncol	3	IIIB–IV	Carboplatin+paclitaxel	Carboplatin+S-1^¶
Lee [23]	2013	Clin Lung Cancer	3	IIIB–IV	Cisplatin+paclitaxel	Paclitaxel-loaded polymeric micelle+cisplatin
Second-line setting				IIIB–IV
Schuette [24]	2005	J Clin Oncol	3	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel (3-weekly regimen)	Docetaxel (weekly regimen)
Hanna [25]	2004	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Pemetrexed
Ramlau [26]	2006	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Topotecan
Krzakowski [27]	2010	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Vinflunine
Maruyama [28]	2008	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Gefitinib
Kim [29]	2008	Lancet	2	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Gefinitib
Li [30]	2012	Pulm Pharm Ther	3	IIIB–IV	Docetaxel	Pemetrexed
Natale [31]	2011	J Clin Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Erlotinib	Vandetanib
Shi [32]	2013	Lancet Oncol	2	IIIB–IV	Gefitinib	Icotinib

The studies are ordered by the date of inclusion of the first patient in the study. CT: chemotherapy. ^#: involvement of a pharmaceutical company was scored as 1 (no), 2 (yes, grant provided and company members as authors) or 3 (uncertain, grant provided but real role of company members not reported); ^¶: an oral fluoropyrimidine agent.