CRD Summary: This review concluded that amifostine has no effect on tumour response in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy. However, interpretation of the results is limited by the small data set and uncertain quality of the included studies.

CRD Commentary: The review question was supported by clear inclusion criteria. Several sources were searched without language restrictions for relevant studies. The methods used to extract the data were likely to have minimised reviewer error or bias; it is unclear whether similar methods were undertaken to select papers for inclusion. Validity was assessed although this appears to have been limited to determining the method of response rate. The analyses appeared appropriate and statistical heterogeneity was assessed. The authors made some attempt to investigate possible sources of bias between the studies. The authors highlighted a number of caveats, such as response rates as a measure of tumour control and the misspecification of tumour response. Interpretation of the results is limited by the small data set and uncertain quality of the included studies. 

Five authors have received honoraria from Medimmune, Inc. and one author has received honoraria from Schering Plough SA.