Characteristics of study participants
| Treatment group | Bisogno et al16 | Pramanik et al17 | Senerchia et al18 | |
| Age | MC | 1 year or younger: 6% (n=11) | Median (range): 13 years (5 to 18) | Mean (SD) in years: 13.23 (4.61) |
| > 1 year to 9 years: 74% (n=136) | ||||
| 10 years to 17 years: 18% (n=34) | ||||
| 18 years or older: 2% (n=4) | ||||
| Comparator | 1 year or younger: 1% (n=2) | Median (range): 15 years (5 to 18) | Mean (SD) in years: 13.85 (4.10) | |
| > 1 year to 9 years: 77% (n=143) | ||||
| 10 years to 17 years: 19% (n=36) | ||||
| 18 years or older: 3% (n=5) | ||||
| Gender | MC | Male: 57% (n=105) | Male: 75.0% (n=42) | Male: 52.5% |
| Comparator | Male: 56% (n=104) | Male: 76.9% (n=40) | Male: 59.9% | |
| Tumour histology | MC | Alveolar RMS: 33% (n=61) | Osteosarcoma, PNET: 71% (n=40) | n.r. |
| Embryonal RMS: 59% (n=109) | Neuroblastoma: 9% (n=5) | |||
| Botryoid RMS: 6% (n=11) | Rhabdomyosarcoma: 5% (n=3) | |||
| Other RMS: 2% (n=4) | Esthesioneuroblastoma: 2% (n=1) | |||
| Nonrhabdomyosarcoma STS: 4% (n=2) | ||||
| Retinoblastoma: 4% (n=2) | ||||
| Others: 5% (n=3) | ||||
| Comparator | Alveolar RMS: 33% (n=62) | Osteosarcoma, PNET: 61% (n=32) | n.r. | |
| Embryonal RMS: 61% (n=113) | Neuroblastoma: 10% (n=5) | |||
| Botryoid RMS: 3% (n=5) | Rhabdomyosarcoma: 11% (n=6) | |||
| Other RMS: 3% (n=6) | Esthesioneuroblastoma: 2% (n=1) | |||
| Non-rhabdomyosarcoma STS: 8% (n=4) | ||||
| Retinoblastoma: 2% (n=1) | ||||
| Others: 6% (n=3) | ||||
| Performance status | MC | n.r. | 0: 5% (n=3) | n.r. |
| 1: 32% (n=18) | ||||
| 2: 44% (n=25) | ||||
| 3: 17% (n=10) | ||||
| Comparator | n.r. | 0: 2% (n=1) | n.r. | |
| 1: 36% (n=19) | ||||
| 2: 40% (n=21) | ||||
| 3: 21% (n=11) | ||||
| Pathology | MC | Favourable: 66% (122) | n.r. | n.r. |
| Comparator | Favourable: 65% (120) | n.r. | n.r. | |
| Primary tumour invasiveness | MC | T1: 39% (n=72) | n.r. | n.r. |
| T2: 58% (n=108) | ||||
| Tx: 3% (n=5) | ||||
| Comparator | T1: 47% (n=88) | n.r. | n.r. | |
| T2: 52% (n=97) | ||||
| Tx: 1% (n=1) | ||||
| Regional lymph node involvement | MC | N0: 80% (n=148) | n.r. | n.r. |
| N1: 17% (n=31) | ||||
| Nx: 3% (n=6) | ||||
| Comparator | N0: 83% (n=154) | n.r. | n.r. | |
| N1: 16% (n=29) | ||||
| Nx: 2% (n=3) | ||||
| Tumour size (diameter in cm) | MC | 5 cm or less: 28% (n=52) | n.r. | Mean (SD): 10.76 (4.87) |
| More than 5 cm: 70% (n=130) | ||||
| Not evaluable: 2% (n=3) | ||||
| Comparator | 5 cm or less: 33% (n=61) | n.r. | Mean (SD): 11.06 (5.19) | |
| More than 5 cm: 67% (n=125) | ||||
| Not evaluable: (n=0) | ||||
| Surgery (amputation) | MC | n.r. | n.r. | 35.5% |
| Comparator | n.r. | n.r. | 38.2% |
MC, metronomic chemotherapy; n.r., not reported; PNET, primitive neuroectodermal tumour; RMS, rhabdomyosarcoma; STS, soft-tissue sarcoma.