Appendix 1. CENTRAL search strategy

#1 (carcin* or cancer* or neoplas* or tumour* or tumor* or cyst* or growth* or adenocarcin* or malig*)

#2 (Intestin* or Digest* or Gastr* or gut or epigastr* or stomach* or abdomin*)

#3 #1 or #2

#4 MeSH descriptor: [Abdominal Neoplasms] explode all trees

#5 MeSH descriptor: [Intestinal Neoplasms] explode all trees

#6 MeSH descriptor: [Stomach Neoplasms] explode all trees

#7 #4 or #5 or #6

#8 #3 or #7

#9 (laparoscopy or laparoscopic)

#10 MeSH descriptor: [Laparoscopy] explode all trees

#11 #9 or #10

#12 gastrectomy

#13 MeSH descriptor: [Gastrectomy] explode all trees

#14 #12 or #13

#15 #8 and #11 and #14

Appendix 2. MEDLINE search strategy

1. randomized controlled trial.pt.

2. controlled clinical trial.pt.

3. randomized.ab.

4. placebo.ab.

5. drug therapy.fs.

6. randomly.ab.

7. trial.ab.

8. groups.ab.

9. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8

10. exp animals/ not humans.sh.

11. 9 not 10

12. (carcin* or cancer* or neoplas* or tumour* or tumor* or cyst* or growth* or adenocarcin* or malig*).mp.

13. (Intestin* or Digest* or Gastr* or gut or epigastr* or stomach*).mp.

14. 12 and 13

15. exp abdominal neoplasms/ or exp intestinal neoplasms/ or exp stomach neoplasms/

16. 14 or 15

17. (laparoscopy or laparoscopic).mp.

18. exp Laparoscopy/

19. 17 or 18

20. exp Gastrectomy/

21. gastrectomy.mp.

22. 20 or 21

23. 16 and 19 and 22

24. 11 and 23

Appendix 3. EMBASE search strategy

1. Clinical trial/

2. Randomized controlled trial/

3. Randomization/

4. Single‐Blind Method/

5. Double‐Blind Method/

6. Cross‐Over Studies/

7. Random Allocation/

8. Placebo/

9. Randomi?ed controlled trial*.tw.

10. Rct.tw.

11. Random allocation.tw.

12. Randomly allocated.tw.

13. Allocated randomly.tw.

14. (allocated adj2 random).tw.

15. Single blind*.tw.

16. Double blind*.tw.

17. ((treble or triple) adj blind*).tw.

18. Placebo*.tw.

19. Prospective study/

20. or/1‐19

21. Case study/

22. Case report.tw.

23. Abstract report/ or letter/

24. or/21‐23

25. 20 not 24

26. (carcin* or cancer* or neoplas* or tumour* or tumor* or cyst* or growth* or adenocarcin* or malig*).mp.

27. exp neoplasm/ or exp tumor/

28. 26 or 27

29. (Intestin* or Digest* or Gastr* or gut or epigastr* or stomach*).mp.

30. 28 and 29

31. exp stomach tumor/ or exp abdominal tumor/ or exp stomach cancer/ or exp abdominal cancer/ or exp intestine cancer/ or exp stomach carcinoma/ or exp stomach carcinogenesis/ or exp stomach carcinoid/

32. 30 or 31

33. (laparoscopy or laparoscopic).mp.

34. exp laparoscopy/

35. 33 or 34

36. exp gastrectomy Billroth I/ or exp gastrectomy/ or exp partial gastrectomy/ or exp gastrectomy Billroth II/

37. gastrectomy.mp.

38. 36 or 37

39. 32 and 35 and 38

40. 25 and 39

Appendix 4. Science Citation Index search strategy

#1 TS=(carcin* or cancer* or neoplas* or tumour* or tumor* or cyst* or growth* or adenocarcin* or malig*)

#2 TS=(Intestin* or Digest* or Gastr* or gut or epigastr* or stomach*)

#3 TS=(laparoscopy or laparoscopic)

#4 TS=(gastrectomy)

#5 TS=(random* OR rct* OR crossover OR masked OR blind* OR placebo* OR meta‐analysis OR systematic review* OR meta‐analys*)

#6 #5 AND #4 AND #3 AND #2 AND #1

Appendix 5. ClinicalTrials.gov search strategy

"Interventional" [STUDY‐TYPES] AND gastrectomy [DISEASE] AND (laparoscopy OR laparoscopic) [TREATMENT] AND ( "Phase 2" OR "Phase 3" OR "Phase 4" ) [PHASE]

Appendix 6. WHO ICTRP search strategy

Gastrectomy AND laparoscop*