Adjuvant and adjunctive chemotherapy in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region: a meta-analysis of prospective and randomized trials

CRD COMMENTARY: The review stresses the importance of applying a rigorous approach to systematic reviews in order to achieve a complete and unbiased synthesis of evidence, but important aspects of the review process are inadequately discussed. The specific sources, restriction criteria (dates, language and type of publication), and strategy used in the literature search are not outlined. The criteria for the validity or quality of primary studies, the application of the criteria, and the methods for extracting data from the primary studies are not discussed. Description of the primary studies lacks appropriate detail. The statistical methods for data analysis are discussed at length, with extensive delineation of the equations, but limited definition of the components. Presentation of the results from the review were relatively clear, although CIs would have been useful for the table of individual studies. The conclusions reached appear to be supported by the evidence presented.