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Gallo L, Eskicioglu C, Braga LH, Farrokhyar F, Thoma A. Users' guide to the surgical literature: how to assess an article using surrogate end points. Can J Surg 2017; 60:280-287. [PMID: 28730989 DOI: 10.1503/cjs.002217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Phase 3 randomized controlled trials are the widely accepted gold standard through which treatment decisions are made, as they assess the efficacy of a novel treatment against the control on the relevant patient population. The effectiveness of the novel treatment should be derived by measuring patient-important outcomes; however, to accurately assess these outcomes, clinical trials often require extensive patient follow-up and large sample sizes that can incur substantial expense. For this reason, investigators substitute surrogate end points to reduce the sample size and duration of a trial, ultimately reducing cost. The purpose of this article is to help surgeons appraise the surgical literature that use surrogate end points for patient-important outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Gallo
- From the Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu); the Division of Urology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Braga); the Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Thoma); the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu, Braga, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Gallo); and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Farrokhyar, Thoma)
| | - Cagla Eskicioglu
- From the Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu); the Division of Urology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Braga); the Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Thoma); the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu, Braga, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Gallo); and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Farrokhyar, Thoma)
| | - Luis H Braga
- From the Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu); the Division of Urology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Braga); the Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Thoma); the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu, Braga, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Gallo); and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Farrokhyar, Thoma)
| | - Forough Farrokhyar
- From the Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu); the Division of Urology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Braga); the Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Thoma); the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu, Braga, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Gallo); and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Farrokhyar, Thoma)
| | - Achilleas Thoma
- From the Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu); the Division of Urology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Braga); the Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Thoma); the Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Eskicioglu, Braga, Farrokhyar, Thoma); the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Gallo); and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. (Farrokhyar, Thoma)
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