Background: Despite the successful integration of targeted therapies, chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for mAGC. Uncertainty remains regarding the choice of the regimen. Methods: We searched: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE until February 2014; proceedings from ECCO, ESMO, ASCO until June 2014 with Selection criteria: Randomised controlled trials on chemotherapy in mAGC. Objectives: To assess and compare the effects on overall survival of regimens containing: 1) irinotecan (I) vs non-I, 2) docetaxel (D) vs non-D, 3) capecitabine (C) vs 5-FU, 4) S-1 vs 5-FU, 5) oxaliplatin (O) vs the same regimen containing cisplatin. For 1) and 2), substitutive (other chemotherapy substituted by I or D) and additive comparisons (I or D added) were analyzed separately. Results: The meta-analyses of overall survival included: Comparison 1) a. Substitutive: 5 trials, 724 patients (pts), with a HR of 0.85 (95% CI 0.73-0.99), b. Additive: 3 trials, 500 pts, with a HR of 0.88 (95% CI 0.76-1.03), both in favor of the I-containing regimens. Comparison 2) In total, 6 trials, 1702 pts, with a HR of 0.89 (95% CI 0.80-0.99) in favor of patients treated with D. a. Substitutive: 3 trials, 479 pts, with a HR of 1.05 (95% CI 0.87-1.27) in favor of patients treated without D. b. Additive: 3 trials, 1223 pts, with a HR of 0.82 (95% CI 0.87-0.93), in favor of D-containing regimens. If only studies (2 trials, 588 pts) are considered, in which D is added to a platinum/5-FU doublet, the HR is 0.79 (95% CI 0.64-0.98) in favor of the D-containing regimen. Comparison 3) 2 trials, 401 pts, with a HR of 0.85 (95% CI 0.68-1.06) in favor of the C-containing-regimen. Comparison 4) 2 trials, 1497 pts, with a HR of 0.89 (95% CI 0.80-1.0) in favor of the S-1-containing regimen. Comparison 5) 1 trial, 220 pts, with a HR of 0.82 (0.47-1.45) in favor of the O-containing regimen. Conclusions: All different chemotherapy combinations including I, D, O or oral 5-FU prodrugs are valid treatment options for mAGC. Among the comparisons analyzed above, only D-containing combinations, in which D wasadded to a single-agent or two-drug (platinum/5-FU) combination show a significant advantage in overall survival as compared to regimens without D.