Table 1  Baseline characteristics of the five published clinical trials included in the meta-analysis.
CONCUR  CORRECT  FRESCO  RECOURSE*  TERRA
Reg  PLA  Reg  PLA  Fruq  PLA  TAS  PLA  TAS  PLA
Number  136 (%)  68 (%)  505 (%)  255 (%)  278 (%)  138 (%)  534 (%)  266 (%)  271 (%)  135 (%)
Median age (yrs)  57  55.5  61  61  55  57  63  63  58  56
Race
 White  0 (0)  0 (0)  392 (78)  201 (79)  0 (0)  0 (0)  306 (57)  155 (58)  0 (0)  0 (0)
 Black  0 (0)  0 (0)  6 (1)  8 (3)  0 (0)  0 (0)  4 (<1)  5 (2)  0 (0)  0 (0)
 Asian  136 (100)  68 (100)  76 (15)  35 (14)  278 (100)  138 (100)  184 (34)  94 (35)  271 (100)  135 (100)
 Other  0 (0)  0 (0)  31 (6)  11 (4)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)
Gender
 Male  85 (63)  33 (49)  311 (62)  153 (60)  158 (57)  97 (70)  326 (61)  165 (62)  170 (63)  84 (62)
 Female  51 (38)  35 (51)  194 (38)  102 (40)  120 (43)  41 (30)  208 (39)  101 (38)  101 (37)  51 (38)
ECOG PS
 0  35 (26)  15 (22)  265 (52)  146 (57)  77 (28)  37 (27)  301 (56)  147 (55)  64 (24)  30 (22)
 1  101 (74)  53 (78)  240 (48)  109 (43)  201 (72)  101 (73)  233 (44)  119 (45)  207 (76)  105 (78)
Primary site
 Colon  79 (58)  48 (71)  323 (64)  172 (68)  147 (53)  70 (51)  338 (63)  161 (61)  154 (57)  85 (63)
 Rectum  53 (39)  19 (28)  151 (30)  69 (27)  125 (45)  60 (44)  196 (37)  105 (39)  117 (43)  50 (37)
   4 (3)  1 (1)  30 (6)  14 (5)  6 (2)  7 (5)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)
 Missing data  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  1 (1)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)
KRAS status
 Wild-type  50 (37)  29 (43)  205 (41)  94 (37)  157 (57)  74 (54)  262 (49)  131 (49)  172 (63)  85 (63)
 Mutation  46 (34)  18 (26)  273 (54)  157 (62)  NR  NR  272 (51)  135 (51)  99 (37)  50 (37)
 Unknown  40 (29)  21 (31)  27 (5)  4 (2)  NR  NR  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)  0 (0)
Prior chemo
 1–2  48 (35)  24 (35)  135 (27)  63 (25)  190 (68)  98 (71)  95 (18)  45 (17)  62 (23)  25 (19)
 3  32 (24)  17 (25)  125 (25)  72 (28)  NR  NR  119 (22)  54 (20)  74 (27)  36 (27)
 ≥4  52 (38)  27 (40)  245 (49)  120 (47)  NR  NR  320 (60)  167 (63)  135 (50)  74 (55)
Prior anti-EGFR
 Yes  48 (36)  29 (43)  219 (43)  107 (42)  40 (14)  19 (14)  278 (52)  144 (54)  71 (26)  42 (32)
 No  88 (64)  39 (57)  286 (57)  148 (58)  238 (86)  119 (86)  256 (48)  122 (46)  200 (74)  93 (68)
Prior anti-VEGFR
 Yes  56 (42)  25 (37)  505 (100)  255 (100)  84 (30)  41 (30)  534 (100)  265 (99.6)  77 (28)  44 (33)
 No  80 (58)  43 (63)  0 (0)  0 (0)  194 (70)  97 (70)  0 (0)  1 (0.4)  194 (72)  91 (67)
Drug exposure (months)  2.4 (1.6–5.3)  1.6 (1.1–1.6)  1.7 (1.4–3.7)  1.6 (1.3–1.7)  3.7 (0.1–21.9)  1.8 (0.1–11.1)  1.56 (0.01–18.2)  1.33 (0.01–4.9)  3.48 (NR)  2.04 (NR)
Follow-up (months)  7.4 (4.3–12.2)  NR  13.3  13.2  NR  NR
The CORRECT Trial, of regorafenib monotherapy for previously treated mCRC [4]; the RECOURSE Trial, of TAS-102 for refractory mCRC [5]; the TERRA phase III trial, of trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) monotherapy in Asian patients with previously treated mCRC [6]; the FRESCO Trial, of the effect of fruquintinib compared with placebo on OS in patients with previously treated mCRC [7]; the CONCUR trial, of regorafenib plus best supportive care versus placebo in Asian patients with previously treated mCRC [11]; ECOG PS – Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status; EGFR – epidermal growth factor receptor; VEGFR – vascular endothelial growth factor receptor; Reg – regorafenib; Fruq – fruquintinib; TAS – TAS-102; NR – not reported; PLA – placebo.
*  The RECOURSE Trial [5] enrolled some patients previously treated with regorafenib (17% patients in the TAS-102 group, and 20% patients in the placebo group).