Appendix 1. MEDLINE Search Strategy

1 genital neoplasm, female/ or pelvic neoplasm/

2 "gynecologic$ cancer" or "gynaecologic$ cancer"

3 "gynecologic$ malignan$" or "gynaecologic$ malignan$"

4 fallopian tube neoplasms/su [Surgery]

5 exp ovarian neoplasms/su [Surgery]

6 exp uterine neoplasms/su [Surgery]

7 "fallopian tube" AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

8 (ovary OR ovarian) AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

9 (uterine OR uterus) AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

10 or/1‐9

11 lymphadenectom$

12 "lymph node dissection$"

13 "lymph node excision$"

14 lymphocyst

15 lymphocele/

16 "lymphatic cyst$"

17 or/11‐16

18 "suction drainage$"

19 "pelvic drain$" or "pelvic drainage$"

20 "retroperitoneal drainage$"

21 "pelvic reperitonealization"

22 or/18‐21

23 10 and 17 and 22

24 randomized controlled trial.pt.

25 controlled clinical trial.pt.

26 Randomized Controlled Trials/

27 Random allocation/

28 Double‐blind method/

29 Single‐blind method/

30 or/24‐29

31 clinical trial.pt.

32 exp clinical trials/

33 (clin$ adj25 trial$).ti,ab,sh.

34 ((singl$ or doubl$ or tripl$ or trebl$) adj25 (blind$ or mask$)).ti,ab,sh.

35 Placebos/

36 placebo$.ti,ab,sh.

37 random$.ti,ab,sh.

38 Research design/

39 or/31‐38

40 animal/ not (human/ and animal/)

41 30 or 39

42 41 not 40

43 23 and 42

Appendix 2. EMBASE Search Strategy

1 Female Genital Tract Tumor/

2 "gynecologic$ cancer" or "gynaecologic$ cancer"

3 "gynecologic$ malignan$" or "gynaecologic$ malignan$"

4 fallopian tube tumor/su [Surgery]

5 exp ovarian tumor/su [Surgery]

6 exp uterine tumor/su [Surgery]

7 "fallopian tube" AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

8 (ovary OR ovarian) AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

9 (uterine OR uterus) AND (cancer OR cancers OR carcinoma OR carcinomas OR tumour OR tumours OR tumor OR tumors OR neoplasm OR neoplasms OR malignant OR malignancy)

10 or/1‐9

11 lymphadenectom$

12 "lymph node dissection$"

13 "lymph node excision$"

14 lymphocyst

15 lymphocele/

16 "lymphatic cyst$"

17 or/11‐16

18 "suction drainage$"

19 "pelvic drain$" or "pelvic drainage$"

20 "retroperitoneal drainage$"

21 "pelvic reperitonealization"

22 or/18‐21

23 10 and 17 and 22

24 controlled study/ or randomized controlled trial/

25 double blind procedure/

26 single blind procedure/

27 crossover procedure/

28 drug comparison/

29 placebo/

30 random$.ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

31 latin square.ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

32 crossover.ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

33 cross‐over.ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

34 placebo$.ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

35 ((doubl$ or singl$ or tripl$ or trebl$) adj5 (blind$ or mask$)).ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

36 (comparative adj5 trial$).ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

37 (clinical adj5 trial$).ti,ab,hw,tn,mf.

38 or/24‐37

39 nonhuman/

40 animal/ not (human/ and animal/)

41 or/39‐40

42 38 not 41

43 23 and 42

Appendix 3. Specific criteria for allocation concealment rating

Clearly yes: rate A

• Some form of centralised randomisation scheme, such as having to provide participant details by phone to receive treatment group allocation

• A scheme controlled by a pharmacy or nutritional unit

• An on‐site computer system, given that allocations are in a locked unreadable file which can be accessed only after inputting participant details

• Assignment envelopes, provided that they are sequentially numbered, sealed and opaque

• Other combinations which appear to provide assurance of adequate concealment

Unclear: rate B

• Assignment envelopes, without description of adequate safeguards

• Use of a "list" or "table"

• Flip of a coin

• A trial in which the description suggests adequate concealment, but other features are suspicious‐ for example, markedly unequal controls and trial groups

• Stated random, but unable to obtain further details

Clearly no: rate C

• Alternation

• Case record numbers, dates of birth, day of the week, or any other such approach

• Any allocation procedure transparent before assignment, such as an open list of random numbers