Table 2 Baseline characteristics and adverse events (AE)

Jensen et al. [16]

71 years (57-82)

NR

II: 7%

IIIA: 57%

IIIB: 37%

Weight loss < 5% required

Adenocarcinoma: 33%

Squamous: 57%

Other or unknown: 10%

10% died before completing protocol treatment (death unlikely related to treatment), 50% had ≥ grade 3 non-hematologic AE

Jatoi et al. [15]

77 years (60-87)

0: 22%

1: 57%

2: 21%

IIIA: 59%

IIIB: 41%

NR

Adenocarcinoma: 38%

Squamous: 43%

Other or unspecified: 19%

No treatment-related deaths, 9% stopped early because of AE, 53% had at least one AE ≥ grade 3

Hallqvist et al. [19]

62 years (42-81)

0: 62%

1: 38%

IIIA: 37%

IIIB: 63%

> 5%: 37%

Adenocarcinoma: 49%

Squamous: 39%

Unspecified: 12%

One pneumonitis-related death, 18% did not complete cetuximab and 11% received < 68 Gy, 43% AE ≥ grade 3

Hughes et al. [20]

67.5 years (58-76)

0: 42%

1: 58%

IIIA: 33%

IIIB: 50%

IV: 17%

NR

Adenocarcinoma: 33%

Squamous: 50%

Other or unspecified: 17%

One pneumonia-related death, 17% did not complete cetuximab, 17% AE ≥ grade 3

Blumenschein et al. [21]

64 years (42-85)

0: 47%

1: 53%

IIIA: 46%

IIIB: 54%

Weight loss < 5% required

NR

6 treatment-related deaths, 20% did not complete RT and concurrent cetuximab, 68% had ≥ grade 3 non-hematologic AE

Govindan et al. [23]*

66 years (32-81)

0: 34%

1: 66%

IIIA: 53%

IIIB: 47%

Weight loss ≤ 10% required

Adenocarcinoma: 42%

Squamous: 34%

Other or unspecified: 25%

3 treatment-related deaths, 19% did not complete 4 cycles of CTx and 7 weeks of cetuximab, 62% had ≥ grade 3 non-hematologic AE and 70% ≥ grade 3 hematologic AE