Prognostic impact of the red cell distribution width in esophageal cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 1 PubMed search strategy

Number	Search items
#1	Esophageal Neoplasm.ti,ab
#2	esophagus neoplasm.ti,ab
#3	esophagus neoplasms.ti,ab
#4	cancer of esophagus.ti,ab
#5	cancer of the esophagus.ti,ab
#6	esophagus cancer.ti,ab
#7	esophagus cancers.ti,ab
#8	esophageal cancer.ti,ab
#9	esophageal cancers.ti,ab
#10	esophageal squamous cell cancer.ti,ab
#11	ESCC.ti,ab
#12	esophageal adenocarcinoma.ti,ab
#13	or #1- #12
#14	red cell distribution. ti,ab
#15	RDW.ti,ab
#16	or #14- #15
#17	#13 and #16

Table 2 Main characteristics of included studies in meta-analysis

Order number	Author	Year of publication	Country	Research type	Patients number	Male	Female	Pathological types	RDW, cut-off value, %	CSS/OS/PFS/DFS	HR, U	LCI, U	UCI, U	P-value, U	HR, M	LCI, M	UCI, M	P-value, M	NOS score
1	Chen et al	2015	China	Retrospective	277	240	37	ESCC	14.5	CSS	1.719	1.268	2.331	< 0.001	1.396	1.022	1.908	0.036	6
2	Wan et al	2016	China	Retrospective	179	150	29	ESCC (133), EAC (46)	15	OS	3.087	1.85	5.152	< 0.001	1.895	1.023	3.508	0.042	7
2	Wan et al	2016	China	Retrospective	179	150	29	ESCC (133), EAC (46)	15	DFS	3.208	1.922	5.353	< 0.001	1.907	1.02	3.565	0.043	7
3	Hirahara et al	2016	Japan	Retrospective	144	129	15	ESCC	15.3	CSS	2.332	1.304	4.19	0.005	1.684	0.929	3.071	0.03	6
4	Sun et al	2016	China	Retrospective	362	268	94	ESCC	13.6	OS	1.381	0.946	2.016	0.094					5
5	Zhang et al	2016	China	Retrospective	468	376	92	ESCC	12.2	OS	1.505	1.068	2.122	0.02	1.356	0.948	1.94	0.095	7
5	Zhang et al	2016	China	Retrospective	468	376	92	ESCC	12.2	DFS	1.474	1.046	2.077	0.027	1.349	0.943	1.929	0.101	7
6	Hu et al	2017	China	Prospective	2396	1822	574	ESCC	12.90 (men)	OS	0.85	0.76	0.94	0.002	0.84	0.75	0.93	0.001	8
6	Hu et al	2017	China	Prospective	2396	1822	574	ESCC	12.70 (women)	OS	1.02	0.89	1.18	0.73	1.01	0.88	1.17	0.996	8
6	Hu et al	2017	China	Prospective	2396	1822	574	ESCC		OS					0.92	0.75	1.08	0.051	8