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Dumaine CS, Ravani P, Parmar MK, Leung KCW, MacRae JM. In-center nocturnal hemodialysis improves health-related quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. J Nephrol 2021; 35:245-253. [PMID: 34050903 DOI: 10.1007/s40620-021-01066-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conventional in-center hemodialysis (HD) is associated with significant symptom burden and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The HRQOL effects of conversion to in-center nocturnal hemodialysis (INHD) remain unclear, especially amongst those with poor HRQOL. METHODS Prospective cohort study of HD patients converting to INHD. Linear regression models summarized the mean score at baseline and at 12 months for the cohort. To assess whether patients with low baseline HRQOL derive greater benefit, we compared values before and after by levels of baseline score for each domain (below vs equal to or above the median) using a formal interaction test (t test). RESULTS 36 patients started INHD, 7 withdrew (5 transplanted, 1 death, 1 moved) and 5 declined follow-up. After 12 months the mental component score (MCS) increased by 7.1 points to a value of 51.0 (95% CI + 1.5 to 10.9, p = 0.01). Amongst patients with baseline scores below the median, improvements were seen in: Symptoms/Problems of Kidney Disease (+ 15.2, 95% CI + 5.5 to + 24.9, p = 0.003), Effects of Kidney Disease (+ 16.9, 95% CI + 2.2 to + 31.7, p = 0.026), Physical Component Score (+ 9.4, 95% CI + 1.69 to + 17.2, p = 0.018), MCS (+ 10.7, 95% CI + 2.4 to + 19.1, p = 0.013). Burden of Kidney Disease domain change was not significant (+ 15.1, 95% CI - 2.1 to + 32.3, p = 0.083). DISCUSSION INHD is a potential intervention for HD patients who struggle with reduced HRQOL, especially for those who struggle with poor mental health. Medical benefits of reduced pill burden and improved phosphate control occur with transition to INHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chance S Dumaine
- Division of Nephrology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Pietro Ravani
- Division of Nephrology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, HRIC Building, 3230 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N4Z6, Canada
| | | | - Kelvin C W Leung
- Division of Nephrology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, HRIC Building, 3230 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N4Z6, Canada
| | - Jennifer M MacRae
- Division of Nephrology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, HRIC Building, 3230 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N4Z6, Canada. .,Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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Raja FA, Counsell N, Colombo N, Pfisterer J, du Bois A, Parmar MK, Vergote IB, Gonzalez-Martin A, Alberts DS, Plante M, Torri V, Ledermann JA. Platinum versus platinum-combination chemotherapy in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis using individual patient data. Ann Oncol 2013; 24:3028-34. [PMID: 24190964 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdt406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of women with ovarian cancer develop recurrent disease. For patients with a platinum-free interval of >6 months, platinum-based chemotherapy is a treatment of choice. The benefit of platinum-based combination chemotherapy in randomized trials varies, and a meta-analysis was carried out to gain more secure information on the size of the benefit of this treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS We initiated a systematic review and meta-analysis following a pre-specified protocol to determine whether combination chemotherapy is superior to single-agent platinum chemotherapy in women with relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. RESULTS A total of five potentially eligible randomized trials were identified that had used combination-platinum chemotherapy versus single-agent platinum chemotherapy in women with relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. For one trial (190 patients), adequate contact with the investigators could not be established. Therefore, four trials that randomly assigned 1300 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 36.1 months. Overall survival (OS) analyses were based on 865 deaths and demonstrated evidence for the benefit of combination-platinum chemotherapy (HR = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00; P = 0.05). Progression-free survival (PFS) analyses were based on 1167 events and demonstrated strong evidence for the benefit of combination-platinum chemotherapy (HR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.57-0.81; P < 0.001). There was no evidence of a difference in the relative effect of combination-platinum chemotherapy on either OS or PFS in patient subgroups defined by previous paclitaxel (Taxol) treatment (OS, P = 0.49; PFS, P = 0.66), duration of treatment-free interval (OS, P = 0.86; PFS, P = 0.48) or the number of previous lines of chemotherapy (OS, P = 0.21; PFS, P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS In this individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis, we have demonstrated that combination-platinum chemotherapy improves OS and PFS across all subgroups. This provides the strongest evidence to date of the benefit of combination-platinum over single-agent platinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Raja
- UCL Cancer Trials Centre, London, UK
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Raja FA, Griffin CL, Qian W, Hirte H, Parmar MK, Swart AM, Ledermann JA. Initial toxicity assessment of ICON6: a randomised trial of cediranib plus chemotherapy in platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer. Br J Cancer 2011; 105:884-9. [PMID: 21878941 PMCID: PMC3185949 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2011.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 08/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cediranib is a potent oral vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling inhibitor with activity against all three VEGF receptors. The International Collaboration for Ovarian Neoplasia 6 (ICON6) trial was initiated based on evidence of single-agent activity in ovarian cancer with acceptable toxicity. METHODS The ICON6 trial is a 3-arm, 3-stage, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial in first relapse of platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Patients are randomised (2 : 3 : 3) to receive six cycles of carboplatin (AUC5/6) plus paclitaxel (175 mg m(-2)) with either placebo (reference), cediranib 20 mg per day, followed by placebo (concurrent), or cediranib 20 mg per day, followed by cediranib (concurrent plus maintenance). Cediranib or placebo was continued for 18 months or until disease progression. The primary outcome measure for stage I was safety, and the blinded results are presented here. RESULTS Sixty patients were included in the stage I analysis. A total of 53 patients had received three cycles of chemotherapy and 42 patients had completed six cycles. In all, 19 out of 60 patients discontinued cediranib or placebo during chemotherapy because of adverse events/intercurrent illness (n=9); disease progression (n=1); death (n=3); patient decision (n=1); administrative reasons (n=1); and multiple reasons (n=4). Grade 3 and 4 toxicity was experienced by 30 (50%) and 3 (5%) patients, respectively. No gastrointestinal perforations were observed. CONCLUSION The addition of cediranib to platinum-based chemotherapy is sufficiently well tolerated to expand the ICON6 trial and progress to stage II.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Raja
- Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
| | - C L Griffin
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Unit, London, UK
| | - W Qian
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Unit, London, UK
| | - H Hirte
- Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - M K Parmar
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Unit, London, UK
| | - A M Swart
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Unit, London, UK
| | - J A Ledermann
- Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TJ, UK
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Sternberg CN, Parmar MK. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not (yet) standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. J Clin Oncol 2001; 19:21S-26S. [PMID: 11560967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
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Abstract
BACKGROUND In judging whether or not to continue enrolling patients into a randomised clinical trial, most data-monitoring and ethics committees (DMECs) rely on the p value for the difference in effect between the study groups. In the 1990s, two randomised controlled trials-one in patients with lung cancer and one in those with head and neck cancer-were instead monitored by Bayesian methods. We assessed the value of this approach in the monitoring of these clinical trials. METHODS Before the trials opened, participating clinicians were asked their opinions on the expected difference between the study treatment (continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy [CHART]) and conventional radiotherapy. These opinions were used to form an "enthusiastic" and a "sceptical" prior distribution. These prior distributions were combined with the trial data at each of the annual DMEC meetings. If, during monitoring, a result in favour of CHART was seen, the DMEC was to decide whether the results were sufficiently convincing to persuade a sceptic that CHART was worthwhile. Conversely, if there was apparently no or little difference, the DMEC was asked whether they thought the results sufficiently convincing to persuade an enthusiast that CHART was not worthwhile. FINDINGS At each of the annual meetings, the DMEC concluded that there was insufficient evidence to convert either sceptics or enthusiasts, and that the trials should therefore remain open to recruitment. Neither trial was closed to recruitment earlier than planned. However if a conventional (p-value-based) stopping rule had been used, the lung-cancer trial would probably have been stopped. INTERPRETATION This Bayesian approach to monitoring is simple to implement and straightforward for members of the DMEC to understand. In our opinion, it is more intuitively appealing than conventional approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- Cancer Division, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, 222 Euston Road, NW1 2DA, London, UK
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Mason MD, Brewster S, Moffat LE, Kirkbride P, Cowan RA, Malone P, Sydes M, Parmar MK. Randomized trials in early prostate cancer. II: hormone therapy and radiotherapy for locally advanced disease: a question is still unanswered. MRC PR07 Trial Management Group. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2001; 12:215-6. [PMID: 11005685 DOI: 10.1053/clon.2000.9156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Bentzen SM, Saunders MI, Dische S, Parmar MK. Accelerated radiotherapy vs. chemoradiation in non-small cell lung cancer: quantifying the hazards. Radiother Oncol 2001; 58:91-2. [PMID: 11258343 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(00)00311-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
The randomized clinical trial, LU19, conducted by the Medical Research Council Lung Cancer Working Party, was designed to compare ACE (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide) chemotherapy plus G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) at 2-week intervals versus ACE chemotherapy alone at standard 3-week intervals in patients with small-cell lung cancer. This trial investigated whether more intensive administration of ACE would improve overall survival and affect the quality of life of patients. The report on overall survival and other outcome measures will be published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. In this paper we focus on methods of analysing aspects of data reflecting quality of life. Twelve symptoms of lung cancer and its treatment - cough, haemoptysis, pain, nausea, vomiting, hoarse voice, sore mouth, rash, lethargy, lack of appetite, alopecia, and dysphagia - were scheduled to be assessed on seven occasions for the ACE arm and on eight occasions for the ACE+G-CSF arm by clinicians during the first 18 weeks of the treatment period. However, in practice the number of assessment forms completed per patient ranged from 1 to 9, and assessment time-points were very different from those planned. These 'messy' longitudinal data are explored by both a summary measure approach, in which experience of a symptom is summarized by a single value, and an extensive model-based statistical approach, which explicitly takes into account correlation within repeated measures. These analyses provide a clear picture of symptom comparisons between the two treatments. The application of various methods offers not only an approach to assessing the robustness of the results but also a basis for investigating reasons for inconsistency of results across methods. We conclude that except lethargy, which is worse in the ACE+G-CSF arm, all symptoms are similar across the two arms during the treatment period.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Qian
- Cancer Division, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, U.K.
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Vergote I, Rustin GJ, Eisenhauer EA, Kristensen GB, Pujade-Lauraine E, Parmar MK, Friedlander M, Jakobsen A, Vermorken JB. Re: new guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors [ovarian cancer]. Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup. J Natl Cancer Inst 2000; 92:1534-5. [PMID: 10995813 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/92.18.1534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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10
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Berek JS, Bertelsen K, du Bois A, Brady MF, Carmichael J, Eisenhauer EA, Gore M, Grenman S, Hamilton TC, Hansen SW, Harper PG, Horvath G, Kaye SB, Lück HJ, Lund B, McGuire WP, Neijt JP, Ozols RF, Parmar MK, Piccart-Gebhart MJ, van Rijswijk R, Rosenberg P, Rustin GJ, Sessa C, Thigpen JT, Tropé C, Tuxen MK, Vergote I, Vermorken JB, Willemse PH. [Epithelial ovarian cancer (advanced stage): consensus conference (1998)]. Gynecol Obstet Fertil 2000; 28:576-83. [PMID: 10996969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J S Berek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Utrecht University Hospital, The Netherlands
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Torri V, Harper PG, Colombo N, Sandercock J, Parmar MK. Paclitaxel and cisplatin in ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol 2000; 18:2349-51. [PMID: 10829060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
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Duchesne GM, Bolger JJ, Griffiths GO, Trevor Roberts J, Graham JD, Hoskin PJ, Fossâ SD, Uscinska BM, Parmar MK. A randomized trial of hypofractionated schedules of palliative radiotherapy in the management of bladder carcinoma: results of medical research council trial BA09. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2000; 47:379-88. [PMID: 10802363 DOI: 10.1016/s0360-3016(00)00430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the efficacy and toxicity of two hypofractionated radiotherapy schedules for the improvement of local symptoms from muscle-invasive bladder cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS A multicenter randomized trial was conducted comparing the efficacy and toxicity of two radiotherapy schedules (35 Gy in 10 fractions and 21 Gy in 3 fractions) for symptomatic improvement in patients considered unsuitable for curative treatment through disease stage or comorbidity. The primary outcome measures were overall symptomatic improvement of bladder-related symptoms at 3 months and changes in bladder- and bowel-related symptoms from pretreatment to end-of-treatment and 3-month assessments. Overall symptomatic improvement was defined prospectively as the improvement in one bladder-related symptom of at least one grade at 3 months, with no deterioration in any other bladder-related symptom. RESULTS Five hundred patients were recruited, but data on symptomatic improvement at 3 months was only available on 272 patients. Of these, 68% achieved symptomatic improvement (71% for 35 Gy, 64% for 21 Gy), with no evidence of a difference in efficacy or toxicity between the two arms. There was no evidence of a difference in survival between the two schedules (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.99, 95% CI 0.82-1.21, p = 0. 933). CONCLUSION This is the largest prospective trial to date in the palliative treatment of bladder cancer, and provides baseline data against which other results may be compared. The use of 21 Gy in 3 fractions appears as effective as 35 Gy in 10 fractions, although modest differences in survival, symptomatic improvement rates, and toxicity can not be reliably excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Duchesne
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
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Arnott SJ, Duncan W, Gignoux M, Girling DJ, Hansen HS, Launois B, Nygaard K, Parmar MK, Rousell A, Spiliopoulos G, Stewart LA, Tierney JF, Wang M, Rhugang Z. Preoperative radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma. Oeosphageal Cancer Collaborative Group. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000:CD001799. [PMID: 11034728 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd001799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The existing randomized evidence has failed to conclusively demonstrate the benefit or otherwise of preoperative radiotherapy in treating patients with potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma. OBJECTIVES This meta-analysis aimed to assess whether there is benefit from adding radiotherapy prior to surgery and whether or not any pre-defined patient subgroups benefit more or less from preoperative radiotherapy SEARCH STRATEGY Medline and CancerLit searches were supplemented by information from trial registers and by hand searching relevant meeting proceedings and by discussion with relevant trialists, organisations and industry. SELECTION CRITERIA Trials were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis provided they randomized patients with potentially resectable carcinoma of the esophagus (of any histological type) to receive radiotherapy or no radiotherapy prior to surgery. Trials must have used a randomization method which precluded prior knowledge of treatment assignment and completed accrual by December 1993, to ensure sufficient follow-up by the time of the first analysis (September 1995). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS A quantitative meta-analysis using updated data from individual patients from all properly randomized trials (published or unpublished) comprising 1147 patients (971 deaths) from five randomized trials. This approach was used to assess whether preoperative radiotherapy improves overall survival and whether it is differentially effective in patients defined by age, sex and tumour location. MAIN RESULTS With a median follow-up of 9 years, in a group patients with mostly squamous carcinomas, the hazard ratio (HR) of 0.89 (95% CI 0.78-1.01) suggests an overall reduction in the risk of death of 11% and an absolute survival benefit of 3% at 2 years and 4% at 5 years. This result is not conventionally statistically significant (p=0.062). No clear differences in the size of the effect by sex, age or tumor location were apparent. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS Based on existing trials, there was no clear evidence that preoperative radiotherapy improves the survival of patients with potentially resectable esophageal cancer. These results indicate that if such preoperative radiotherapy regimens do improve survival, then the effect is likely to be modest with an absolute improvement in survival of around 3 to 4%. Trials or a meta-analysis of around 2000 patients (90% power, 5% significance level) would be needed to reliably detect such an improvement (from 15 to 20%).
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Arnott
- Meta-analysis Group, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, 222 Euston Road, London, UK, CB2 2BW.
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Griffiths GO, Parmar MK, Bailey AJ. Physical and psychological symptoms of quality of life in the CHART randomized trial in head and neck cancer: short-term and long-term patient reported symptoms. CHART Steering Committee. Continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy. Br J Cancer 1999; 81:1196-205. [PMID: 10584882 PMCID: PMC2374313 DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The randomized multicentre trial of continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (CHART) versus conventional radiotherapy in patients with advanced head and neck cancer showed no good evidence of a difference in any of the major clinical outcomes of survival, freedom from metastases, loco-regional control and disease-free survival. Therefore an assessment of the effect of treatment on physical and psychological symptoms is vital to balance the costs and benefits of the two treatments. A total of 615 patients were asked to complete a Rotterdam Symptom Checklist and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, which cover a variety of physical and psychological symptoms, at a total of ten time points. The data consisted of short-term data (the initial 3 months) and long-term data (1 and 2 years). The short-term data was split into an exploratory data set and a confirmatory data set, and analysed using subject-specific and group-based methods. Differences were only claimed if hypotheses generated in the exploratory data set were confirmed in the confirmatory data set. The long-term data was not split into two data sets and was analysed using a group-based approach. There was evidence of significantly worse symptoms of pain at day 21 in those treated with CHART and significantly worse symptoms of cough and hoarseness at 6 weeks in those treated conventionally. There was also evidence to suggest a higher degree of decreased sexual interest at 1 year and sore muscles at 2 years in those treated with conventional radiotherapy. There is no clear indication that one regimen is superior to the other in terms of 'quality of life', generally the initially more severe reaction in the CHART group being offset by the longer duration of symptoms in the conventionally treated group.
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Affiliation(s)
- G O Griffiths
- Cancer Division, Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, London, UK
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Grossman J, Parmar MK. Bayesian analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health 1999; 53:652-3. [PMID: 10616680 PMCID: PMC1756778 DOI: 10.1136/jech.53.10.652b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Masters JR, Popert RJ, Thompson PM, Gibson D, Coptcoat MJ, Parmar MK. Intravesical chemotherapy with epirubicin: a dose response study. J Urol 1999; 161:1490-3. [PMID: 10210379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We determined the difference in response to high and standard doses of intravesical epirubicin for treatment of superficial bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 122 patients were entered into a randomized trial to compare the response of a marker tumor at 3 months, time to first recurrence and recurrence rates for 2 years after intravesical chemotherapy for superficial (pTa/pT1) bladder cancer. Patients were randomized to receive treatment for 1 hour with 1 (standard dose) or 2 mg./ml. (high dose) epirubicin (50 or 100 mg./50 ml. solution). RESULTS There was no difference in the marker tumor response rate in 24 of 52 patients treated with the standard dose compared with 21 of 50 treated with the higher dose of epirubicin (p = 0.67). Similarly, the higher dose was not superior in regard to time to first recurrence, with a hazard ratio of 1.46 (p = 0.14, 95% confidence intervals 0.88 to 2.42). Considering the upper end of the confidence interval, we can reliably exclude an absolute difference of greater than 4% at 1 year for time to first recurrence in favor of higher dose chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Epirubicin at double the standard dose for intravesical chemotherapy of superficial bladder cancer is not superior in regard to marker tumor response, time to first recurrence or recurrence rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Masters
- Institute of Urology and Nephrology, University College and Department of Urology, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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Berek JS, Bertelsen K, du Bois A, Brady MF, Carmichael J, Eisenhauer EA, Gore M, Grenman S, Hamilton TC, Hansen SW, Harper PG, Horvath G, Kaye SB, Lück HJ, Lund B, McGuire WP, Neijt JP, Ozols RF, Parmar MK, Piccart-Gebhart MJ, van Rijswijk R, Rosenberg P, Rustin GJ, Sessa C, Willemse PH. Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: 1998 consensus statements. Ann Oncol 1999; 10 Suppl 1:87-92. [PMID: 10219460 DOI: 10.1023/a:1008323922057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During an international workshop held in September 1998, a group of specialists in the field of ovarian cancer reached consensus on a number of issues with implications for standard practice and for research of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS Five groups of experts considered several issues which included: biologic factors, prognostic factors, surgery, initial chemotherapy, second-line treatment, the use of CA 125, investigational drugs, intra-peritoneal treatment and high-dose chemotherapy. The group attempted to arrive at answers to questions such as: Are there prognostic factors, which help to identify patients who will not do well with current therapy? What is the current best therapy for advanced ovarian carcinoma? What directions should research take in advanced ovarian cancer? These issues were discussed in a plenary meeting. RESULTS One of the major conclusions drawn by the consensus committee was that in previously untreated advanced ovarian cancer, cisplatin plus paclitaxel has been shown to be superior to previous standard therapy with cisplatin plus cyclophosphamide (level I evidence). However, for many patients, carboplatin plus paclitaxel is a reasonable alternative because of toxicity and convenience considerations. Most participants felt that the benefits in terms of toxicity for the paclitaxel-carboplatin are such that its widespread adoption at this stage is justified. Until mature survival data are available a minority of investigators would recommend continued use of cisplatin plus paclitaxel, specifically for those patients with advanced disease with the best prognostic characteristics. For future clinical research in this area, new end points for randomised clinical trials, together with a new Trials Network, are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Berek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Utrecht University Hospital, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Randomised clinical trials are considered the definitive source of evidence for guiding decisions in clinical practice. The concept of a clinical trial is based on sound scientific, ethical, and practical principles. The strength of evidence that an individual trial provides is assessed on the manner in which these principles are incorporated into the design and execution of the trial. Since the way these principles are incorporated into a trial is judgmental, the strength of evidence from an individual trial is a matter of degree. The purpose of this paper is to present some of the scientific, ethical and practical considerations surrounding the selection of endpoints and determination of sample size for trials in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Brady
- GOG Statistical Office, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, USA.
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Piccart MJ, Stuart GC, Cassidy J, Bertelsen K, Parmar MK, Eisenhauer EA, Kaye SB, Tropé C, Swenerton K, Harper P, Vermorken JB. Intergroup collaboration in ovarian cancer: a giant step forward. Ann Oncol 1999; 10 Suppl 1:83-6. [PMID: 10219459 DOI: 10.1023/a:1008371821148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rather slow evolution of so-called "optimal chemotherapy" for ovarian cancer is the result of suboptimal randomised clinical trials, not having the statistical power to identify truly superior regimens, and of the lack of systematic comparisons of new agents with relevant control arms. There is little doubt that we need international collaboration to move the field forward in a timely and coherent manner. European and transatlantic collaboration represents the beginning of the process and point to the success that can await us if the drive to work together remains strong. A similar organisation as for breast cancer (Breast International Group, BIG) needs to be established for ovarian cancer.
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Abstract
Meta-analyses aim to provide a full and comprehensive summary of related studies which have addressed a similar question. When the studies involve time to event (survival-type) data the most appropriate statistics to use are the log hazard ratio and its variance. However, these are not always explicitly presented for each study. In this paper a number of methods of extracting estimates of these statistics in a variety of situations are presented. Use of these methods should improve the efficiency and reliability of meta-analyses of the published literature with survival-type endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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21
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Abstract
Meta-analyses aim to provide a full and comprehensive summary of related studies which have addressed a similar question. When the studies involve time to event (survival-type) data the most appropriate statistics to use are the log hazard ratio and its variance. However, these are not always explicitly presented for each study. In this paper a number of methods of extracting estimates of these statistics in a variety of situations are presented. Use of these methods should improve the efficiency and reliability of meta-analyses of the published literature with survival-type endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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22
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Abstract
Meta-analyses aim to provide a full and comprehensive summary of related studies which have addressed a similar question. When the studies involve time to event (survival-type) data the most appropriate statistics to use are the log hazard ratio and its variance. However, these are not always explicitly presented for each study. In this paper a number of methods of extracting estimates of these statistics in a variety of situations are presented. Use of these methods should improve the efficiency and reliability of meta-analyses of the published literature with survival-type endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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23
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Tierney JF, Stewart LA, Parmar MK. Can the published data tell us about the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced cancer of the uterine cervix? Eur J Cancer 1999; 35:406-9. [PMID: 10448290 DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(98)00404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on survival of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer was investigated by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published data. Of the 21 randomised trials that we identified, only 15 were published. Furthermore, 2-year survival data could be extracted from only seven trial reports and 3-year survival from only nine trial reports. Meta-analyses of the published data at 2 and 3 years are neither clearly in favour of neoadjuvant chemotherapy nor control (2 years: odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-1.45, P = 0.37; 3 years: OR = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.73-1.25, P = 0.45). Being restricted to only some of the data from a relatively small fraction of the randomised trials, these analyses potentially suffer from a number of biases and are therefore inconclusive. The only reliable way to judge the value of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this disease is to perform a meta-analysis of centrally collected, updated, individual data on all patients from all known randomised trials. Such an analysis is currently being carried out by an international collaborative group.
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Abstract
Meta-analyses aim to provide a full and comprehensive summary of related studies which have addressed a similar question. When the studies involve time to event (survival-type) data the most appropriate statistics to use are the log hazard ratio and its variance. However, these are not always explicitly presented for each study. In this paper a number of methods of extracting estimates of these statistics in a variety of situations are presented. Use of these methods should improve the efficiency and reliability of meta-analyses of the published literature with survival-type endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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25
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Abstract
As of June 1998, four randomized trials have been completed comparing the combination of paclitaxel and cisplatin with a cisplatin-based control arm. The results of three of these trials are available; one has been published as a full paper, the other two in abstract form only. Two of the reported trials (GOG-111 and the Intergroup trial) provide clear evidence that cisplatin combined with paclitaxel is a more effective regimen than one using the same dose of cisplatin combined with cyclophosphamide. The results of the third reported trial (GOG-132) are rather different, suggesting that a higher dose of single-agent cisplatin may be as effective as the paclitaxel/cisplatin combination tested in the other two trials. A number of explanations for these unexpected results have been proposed: false-positive results in GOG-111 and the Intergroup trial; false-negative results in GOG-132; high crossover in GOG-132 (including crossover before progression); the cyclophosphamide in the control arm of GOG-111 and the Intergroup trial had a negative impact on outcome in the control group in these trials; the higher dose of cisplatin when used as a single agent in GOG-132 had a positive impact on outcome for the control group in this trial. These explanations are discussed in detail, and their implications explored.
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Mead GM, Russell M, Clark P, Harland SJ, Harper PG, Cowan R, Roberts JT, Uscinska BM, Griffiths GO, Parmar MK. A randomized trial comparing methotrexate and vinblastine (MV) with cisplatin, methotrexate and vinblastine (CMV) in advanced transitional cell carcinoma: results and a report on prognostic factors in a Medical Research Council study. MRC Advanced Bladder Cancer Working Party. Br J Cancer 1998; 78:1067-75. [PMID: 9792152 PMCID: PMC2063167 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1998.629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transitional cell carcinomas may arise at any site within the urinary tract and are a source of considerable morbidity and mortality. In particular, patients with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis, with less than 5% alive at 5 years. A multicentre randomized trial comparing methotrexate and vinblastine (MV) with cisplatin, methotrexate and vinblastine (CMV) in advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma was conducted in the UK. From April 1991 to June 1995, 214 patients were entered by 16 centres, 108 randomized to CMV and 106 to MV. A total of 204 patients have died. The hazard ratio (relative risk of dying) was 0.68 (95% CI 0.51-0.90, P-value = 0.0065) in favour of CMV. This translates to an absolute improvement in 1-year survival of 13%, 16% in MV and 29% in CMV. The median survival for CMV and MV was 7 months and 4.5 months respectively. Two hundred and eight patients objectively progressed or died. The hazard ratio was 0.55 (95% CI 0.41-0.73, P-value = 0.0001) in favour of CMV. Two hundred and nine patients symptomatically progressed or died. The hazard ratio was 0.48 (95% CI 0.36-0.64, P-value = 0.0001) in favour of CMV. The most important pretreatment factors influencing overall survival were WHO performance status and extent of disease. These two factors were used to derive a prognostic index which could be used to categorize patients into three prognostic groups. We conclude that the addition of cisplatin to methotrexate and vinblastine should be considered in patients with transitional cell carcinoma, taking into account the increased toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Mead
- Royal South Hants Hospital, Brintons Terrace, Southampton, UK
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27
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Bailey AJ, Parmar MK, Stephens RJ. Patient-reported short-term and long-term physical and psychologic symptoms: results of the continuous hyperfractionated accelerated [correction of acclerated] radiotherapy (CHART) randomized trial in non-small-cell lung cancer. CHART Steering Committee. J Clin Oncol 1998; 16:3082-93. [PMID: 9738579 DOI: 10.1200/jco.1998.16.9.3082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The randomized multicenter trial of continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (CHART) versus conventional radiotherapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed a significant survival benefit to CHART (29% v 20% at 2 years, P=.004). However, an assessment of the effect on physical and psychologic symptoms is vital to balance the costs and benefits of the two treatments. METHODS A total of 356 patients in the United Kingdom completed the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at 10 time points. The principal aim of the analyses was to keep the methods simple, so as to allow the presentation and interpretation of the results to be as clear as possible. This was achieved by (1) considering individual symptoms rather than symptom subscales or domains, (2) assessing short-term effects (up to 3 months) and long-term effects (at 1 and 2 years) separately, and (3) for the short-term analyses, (a) splitting the data randomly into an exploratory data set and a confirmatory data set, and (b) using two different methods of analysis: a subject-specific approach, which used the area under the curve (AUC) as a summary measure, and a group-based method, which plotted the percent of patients with moderate or severe symptoms over time. RESULTS The results indicate that apart from CHART causing transient pain on swallowing and heartburn, there was little difference between the regimens in the short or long-term. CONCLUSION Combining the results of the patient-assessed symptom comparisons with the clinical results indicates that CHART confers a major benefit without serious morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Bailey
- Medical Research Council Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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28
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Arnott SJ, Duncan W, Gignoux M, Girling DJ, Hansen HS, Launois B, Nygaard K, Parmar MK, Roussel A, Spiliopoulos G, Stewart LA, Tierney JF, Mei W, Rugang Z. Preoperative radiotherapy in esophageal carcinoma: a meta-analysis using individual patient data (Oesophageal Cancer Collaborative Group). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1998; 41:579-83. [PMID: 9635705 DOI: 10.1016/s0360-3016(97)00569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The existing randomized evidence has failed to conclusively demonstrate the benefit or otherwise of preoperative radiotherapy in treating patients with potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma. This meta-analysis aimed to assess whether there is benefit from adding radiotherapy prior to surgery. METHODS AND MATERIALS This quantitative meta-analysis included updated individual patient data from all properly randomized trials (published or unpublished) comprising 1147 patients (971 deaths) from five randomized trials. RESULTS With a median follow-up of 9 years, the hazard ratio (HR) of 0.89 (95% CI 0.78-1.01) suggests an overall reduction in the risk of death of 11% and an absolute survival benefit of 3% at 2 years and 4% at 5 years. This result is not conventionally statistically significant (p = 0.062). No clear differences in the size of the effect by sex, age, or tumor location were apparent. CONCLUSION Based on existing trials, there was no clear evidence that preoperative radiotherapy improves the survival of patients with potentially resectable esophageal cancer. These results indicate that if such preoperative radiotherapy regimens do improve survival, then the effect is likely to be modest with an absolute improvement in survival of around 3 to 4%. Trials or a meta-analysis of around 2000 patients would be needed to reliably detect such an improvement (15-->20%).
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29
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Stewart LA, Parmar MK, Tierney JF. Meta-analyses and large randomized, controlled trials. N Engl J Med 1998; 338:61; author reply 61-2. [PMID: 9424569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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30
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Hopwood P, Harvey A, Davies J, Stephens RJ, Girling DJ, Gibson D, Parmar MK. Survey of the Administration of quality of life (QL) questionnaires in three multicentre randomised trials in cancer. The Medical Research Council Lung Cancer Working Party the CHART Steering Committee. Eur J Cancer 1998; 34:49-57. [PMID: 9624237 DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(97)00347-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We surveyed centres collaborating in two trials in lung cancer (LU12, LU13) and one in lung and head and neck cancer (CHART) to find out how QL questionnaires were being administered, with the aim of standardising procedures and improving compliance. Dedicated local trials staff were funded for CHART but not for the other trials. In all three trials, patients completed a Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) and a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at specified times. 17 of 22 LU12 centres, 9 of 11 LU13 and all 10 CHART centres returned survey forms. In LU12 and LU13, the category of staff responsible for questionnaires varied widely; in CHART, only research staff were involved. This led to more consistency in CHART centres in the administration and collection of questionnaires, and more frequent checking of forms. However, even the CHART administration, although better than in the other two trials, could not be regarded as standardised. All centres were equally affected by logistical problems. These embraced organisational deficits (e.g. unavailability of staff, lack of questionnaires) and patient-related factors (e.g. patient deemed to be too ill, had difficulty reading or left before completing the form). Patient refusals were an uncommon reason for non-compliance and patients were considered to be generally in favour of QL assessment. As a result of these findings, a number of measures have been put in place to increase standardisation of procedures and improve compliance. These include publishing guidelines for protocol writing, providing centres with guidelines for QL administration and information leaflets for patients, together with introducing staff training.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Hopwood
- CRC Psychological Medicine Group, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
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31
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Abstract
As an adjunct to a meta-analysis of chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a survey was conducted in England and Wales of clinicians' views on the role of chemotherapy in NSCLC and the benefits it would have to offer to lead them to change their practice. Radiotherapists, medical oncologists, surgeons and physicians specializing in thoracic medicine, and physicians of palliative medicine were asked their views on the treatment of three case histories of 65 yr old men: Case 1, resected tumour involving a hilar lymph node (tumour (T)2, node (N)1, metastasis (M)0); Case 2, tumour that had spread to mediastinal lymph nodes bilaterally (T2, N3, M0); and Case 3, metastatic cancer (M1) accompanied by minor haemoptysis. Six hundred and ninety eight (85%) of the 821 clinicians responded. For Case 1, 74% would not recommend any adjuvant treatment, 24% would recommend radiotherapy, and <1% chemotherapy, and there was little expectation that adjuvant treatment would improve survival. For Case 2, 68% would recommend radiotherapy, 11% chemotherapy, and 1% surgery, 7% recommending a combination. Adjuvant treatment, regardless of modality, was expected to improve survival. For Case 3, only 11% would recommend chemotherapy, but 26% if the patient was aged < or = 50 yrs. There was little expectation of survival beyond 1 yr, or of improving survival with chemotherapy. For all three cases, most of those not recommending chemotherapy would require it to achieve substantially improved survival for them to use it routinely. Surgery alone is currently considered sufficient for resectable non-small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy is rarely recommended for disease of any stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Crook
- Medical Research Council Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, UK
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32
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Abstract
Many clinical trials organizations use regular interim analyses to monitor the accruing results in large clinical trials. In disease areas such as cancer, where survival is usually a major outcome variable, ethical considerations may lead to a stipulated requirement for data monitoring of mortality. This monitoring has frequently taken the form of limiting interim analyses to be few in number, and specifying an extreme p-value of, for example, p < 0.001 or p < 0.01 as grounds for early termination of the trial. Group-sequential methods are also used. However, none of these approaches formally assesses the impact that the results of a clinical trial may have upon clinical practice. Thus a trial might be terminated early because of apparent treatment benefits, but might fail to influence sceptical clinicians to modify their future treatment policy. We discuss the application of Bayesian methods, including the use of uninformative, sceptical and enthusiastic priors, and demonstrate that the necessary calculations are both straightforward to perform and easy to interpret statistically and clinically. Methods are illustrated with interim analyses of a clinical trial in oesophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Fayers
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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33
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Abstract
Many clinical trials organizations use regular interim analyses to monitor the accruing results in large clinical trials. In disease areas such as cancer, where survival is usually a major outcome variable, ethical considerations may lead to a stipulated requirement for data monitoring of mortality. This monitoring has frequently taken the form of limiting interim analyses to be few in number, and specifying an extreme p-value of, for example, p < 0.001 or p < 0.01 as grounds for early termination of the trial. Group-sequential methods are also used. However, none of these approaches formally assesses the impact that the results of a clinical trial may have upon clinical practice. Thus a trial might be terminated early because of apparent treatment benefits, but might fail to influence sceptical clinicians to modify their future treatment policy. We discuss the application of Bayesian methods, including the use of uninformative, sceptical and enthusiastic priors, and demonstrate that the necessary calculations are both straightforward to perform and easy to interpret statistically and clinically. Methods are illustrated with interim analyses of a clinical trial in oesophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Fayers
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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34
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Hall R, Hedlund PO, Ackermann R, Bruchovsky N, Dalesio O, Debruyne F, Murphy GP, Parmar MK, Pavone-Macaluso M, Ruutu M, Smith P. Evaluation and follow-up of patients with N1-3 M0 or NXM1 prostate cancer in phase III trials. Urology 1997; 49:39-45. [PMID: 9111613 DOI: 10.1016/s0090-4295(99)80322-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this discussion is to review the design and conduct of phase III trials in metastatic prostate cancer, to seek ways of improving their study design, accuracy, relevance to clinical practice, acceptability to patients, and ease of participation by clinicians. We also aim to try to set uniform definitions for the evaluation of the different endpoints used in clinical trials on metastasized prostate cancer. METHODS The work was started by correspondence between the participants in the group for the year before the consensus meeting. Two comprehensive questionnaires were circulated and the answers were distributed to all the members of the group. The statements were finalized during the consensus meeting. RESULTS There were some differing opinions concerning the methods of evaluation of endpoints for follow-up, such as time to tumor progression and time to treatment failure. After the consensus conference, there were no major disagreements within the group. CONCLUSIONS The aim of phase III trials is to influence clinical management. To obtain a credible result they require a sound statistical basis with appropriate power and encompassing patients from small urologic practices as well as large or academic institutions. However, deviation from routine practice may affect the accrual rate, and the trial procedure should therefore be as similar as possible to routine management. Trials inevitably involve extra work and cost. Both should be kept to a minimum to encourage participation and hasten a timely conclusion. It is mandatory to create uniform ways of designing and evaluating clinical trials in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hall
- Department of Urology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom
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Machin D, Stenning SP, Parmar MK, Fayers PM, Girling DJ, Stephens RJ, Stewart LA, Whaley JB. Thirty years of Medical Research Council randomized trials in solid tumours. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 1997; 9:100-14. [PMID: 9135895 DOI: 10.1016/s0936-6555(05)80448-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the survival outcome from the randomized Phase III trials in solid tumours published on behalf of, or in collaboration with, the Cancer Therapy Committee (CTC) of the British Medical Research Council over a 30-year period to 31 December 1995. We review briefly the innovations in statistical methodology that have occurred over the period. We also note the ways in which standards of reporting the trials have improved, with more recent publications including, for example, estimates of the size of effect and confidence intervals. In all, 32 trials, involving over 5000 deaths in more than 8000 patients, have been published. Tumour types have included bladder, bone, brain, cervix, colon and rectum, head and neck, kidney, lung, ovary, prostate and skin. This paper presents a bibliography of these trials and gives details of the treatment comparisons made, the numbers of patients randomized and included in the analysis for each treatment arm, the observed numbers of deaths, and an estimate of the hazard ratio with associated 95% confidence intervals. The bibliography also indicates the main endpoint of each trial, whether recurrence-free survival or survival, and whether the trial was aimed at finding a difference or showing equivalence. The MRC trials have made an impact on both clinical practice and research activities. For example, the lung cancer programme has helped to establish the role of chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer and has developed better palliative treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Trials of the radiosensitizer misonidazole have demonstrated that it has no role in the treatment of a number of cancers, trials of hyperbaric oxygen have defined the biological activity of this approach, and the appropriate dose of radiotherapy in patients with brain tumours has been found. The individual trials recruited between 44 and 824 patients (median 213). A better measure of the information in a trial is the number of deaths reported, which varied from 28 to 661 (median 145). A large proportion of the comparisons (8/29 or 28%) anticipating a survival difference, demonstrated such a difference at the 5% level of significance. Despite this, it is concluded that some of the trials should have been larger. In such cases, hindsight suggests either that an overoptimistic view of the anticipated survival benefit was taken at the design stage, or, for equivalence trials, the planned confidence interval was too wide for definitive statements to be made. As a consequence, the current CTC profolio of ongoing randomized trials open to patient accrual at 1 January 1996 have a projected median size of 600 and range from 120 to 2000 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Machin
- MRC Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, UK
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36
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Pawinski A, Sylvester R, Kurth KH, Bouffioux C, van der Meijden A, Parmar MK, Bijnens L. A combined analysis of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and Medical Research Council randomized clinical trials for the prophylactic treatment of stage TaT1 bladder cancer. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Genitourinary Tract Cancer Cooperative Group and the Medical Research Council Working Party on Superficial Bladder Cancer. J Urol 1996; 156:1934-40, discussion 1940-1. [PMID: 8911360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The use of prophylactic agents after primary resection can decrease the incidence of tumor recurrence in patients with stage TaT1 bladder cancer. However, the long-term impact on progression to muscle invasive disease as well as on duration of survival is unknown. A combined analysis of individual patient data from previously performed European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Medical Research Council (MRC) randomized clinical trials was done in an attempt to answer these crucial questions. We compared immediate versus no adjuvant prophylactic treatment after transurethral resection with respect to disease-free interval, time to progression to muscle invasive disease, time to appearance of distant metastases, duration of survival and progression-free survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS All EORTC and MRC prophylactic, randomized phase III trials with primary or recurrent, stage TaT1 transitional cell bladder cancer that compared transurethral resection alone or with adjuvant prophylactic treatment were included in the study. Four EORTC and 2 MRC trials using intravesical chemotherapy or oral agents and including a total of 2,535 patients were studied. RESULTS A statistically significant effect of adjuvant treatment over no adjuvant treatment was found in terms of the duration of the disease-free interval (p < 0.01). No clear advantage of adjuvant treatment was shown with respect to progression to invasive disease, time to appearance of distant metastases or duration of survival and progression-free survival. Median survival followup was 7.8 years. CONCLUSIONS Despite prologation of the disease-free-interval adjuvant treatment has no apparent long-term impact on the evolution of stage TaTi bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pawinski
- Department of Urology, Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland
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37
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Abstract
BACKGROUND A confirmatory randomized clinical trial is a trial that is aimed at assessing whether a treatment effect observed in a previous randomized trial (or trials) is real and important. There is often considerable disagreement about the need for such confirmatory trials. PURPOSE Our aim is to provide a general statistical framework for evaluating whether a confirmatory trial is warranted in a particular situation. METHODS AND RESULTS The results of two clinical trials are considered: 1) a Cancer and Leukemia Group B trial comparing induction chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone in the treatment of patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and 2) a North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial comparing surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy with surgery alone in the treatment of patients with advanced colon cancer. In our analysis, we argue that differences in the interpretation of results from a randomized trial are based on differences in prior beliefs about the efficacy of the treatment(s) under study. We believe that a major factor in the decision to perform a confirmatory trial is prior skepticism about the clinical worth of the treatment in question. Both the level of prior skepticism and the minimum treatment effect deemed clinically worthwhile require subjective judgment. We develop a Bayesian framework to allow differences in interpretation to be examined systematically and the need for a confirmatory trial to be assessed. Our model allows the addition of prior belief (specified in the form of a prior distribution of treatment effect) to the results of a trial to yield a posterior distribution. The interpretation of trial results is based on the posterior distribution and will vary as the prior distribution (i.e., the prior belief) varies. To aid in the interpretation of trial results, we also advocate the specification of a minimum clinically worthwhile treatment effect at the start of a trial. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our approach acknowledges that a number of different prior beliefs are possible, giving rise to a range of interpretations of results from a clinical trial. This approach provides a formal and systematic basis for considering both the range of likely opinions and the subsequent decision to be made with regard to the need for a confirmatory trial. We recommend that this approach be considered in the discussion of future confirmatory randomized clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Parmar
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, U.K
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38
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39
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Saunders MI, Dische S, Barrett A, Parmar MK, Harvey A, Gibson D. Randomised multicentre trials of CHART vs conventional radiotherapy in head and neck and non-small-cell lung cancer: an interim report. CHART Steering Committee. Br J Cancer 1996; 73:1455-62. [PMID: 8664112 PMCID: PMC2074536 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1996.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
While radiotherapy is proceeding, tumour cells may proliferate. The use of small individual doses reduces late morbidity. Continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy (CHART), which reduces overall treatment from 6-7 weeks to 12 days and gives 36 small fractions, has now been tested in multicentre randomised controlled clinical trials. The trial in non-small-cell lung cancer included 563 patients and showed improvement in survival; 30% of the CHART patients were alive at 2 years compared with 20% in the control group (P = 0.006). In the 918 head and neck cases, there was only a small, non-significant improvement in the disease-free interval. In this interim analysis there was a trend for those with more advanced disease (T3 and T4) to show advantage; this will be subject to further analysis when the data are more mature. The early mucosal reactions appeared sooner and were more troublesome with CHART, however they quickly settled; so far no difference in long-term morbidity has emerged. These results support the hypothesis that tumour cell repopulation can occur during a conventional course of radiotherapy and be a cause of treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Saunders
- Marie Curie Research Wing for Oncology, Centre for Cancer Treatment, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, UK
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Tolley DA, Parmar MK, Grigor KM, Lallemand G, Benyon LL, Fellows J, Freedman LS, Grigor KM, Hall RR, Hargreave TB, Munson K, Newling DW, Richards B, Robinson MR, Rose MB, Smith PH, Williams JL, Whelan P. The effect of intravesical mitomycin C on recurrence of newly diagnosed superficial bladder cancer: a further report with 7 years of follow up. J Urol 1996; 155:1233-8. [PMID: 8632538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We determined the role, if any, of 1 and 5 instillations of intravesical mitomycin C in the treatment of newly diagnosed superficial bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS A multicenter randomized clinical trial was done involving 502 patients with newly diagnosed superficial bladder cancer. After complete transurethral resection patients with newly diagnosed superficial bladder cancer. After complete resection patients were randomized into 1 of 3 treatment arms: no further treatment, 1 instillation of mitomycin C at resection and 1 instillation at resection and at 3-month intervals for 1 year (total 5 instillations). The dose of mitomycin C used was 40 mg./40 ml. water. End points were interval to first superficial recurrence, recurrence rate (defined as the number of positive cystoscopies per year) and progression-free interval rate (progression defined as the development of muscle invasive or metastatic disease, or death from bladder cancer). RESULTS After median followup of 7 years 1 and 5 instillations of mitomycin C resulted in decreased recurrence rates and increased recurrence-free interval. The benefit of mitomycin C was observed in patients at low, medium and high risk for subsequent recurrence. There was suggestive but not conclusive evidence that 5 instillations of mitomycin C offered a slight advantage over 1 instillation. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis confirms the positive benefit of mitomycin C to decrease the number of subsequent recurrences and increase the recurrence-free interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Tolley
- Medical Research Council Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Stephens RJ, Parmar MK, Souhami RL, Spiro S. Chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Large trial will reduce uncertainty. Steering Committee of the Big Lung Trial. BMJ 1996; 312:248-9. [PMID: 8563601 PMCID: PMC2349996 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.312.7025.248c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Abstract
The most reliable information on any type of medical intervention is provided by the results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). In response to increasing pressure to make effective use of limited resources, increasing numbers of health professionals rely on the medical literature, in particular reports of RCTs. However, RCTs may be influenced by a number of factors that introduce bias during the conduct, analysis, and reporting of the trial. Trials may be described as random, when in fact only quasi-random means of treatment allocation have been used; patients may be selectively removed from the analysis; and the report may restrict presentation to or give undue emphasis to only the analyses that yield positive results. The implications of such bias are discussed with particular reference to the effect that they may have on reviews and meta-analyses.
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Abstract
In 1977, Zelen proposed a new design for clinical trials with the aim of increasing recruitment by avoiding some of the problems associated with obtaining informed consent. These 'randomised consent' designs have proved controversial, and have not often been used. This paper explains the statistical aspects of single and double randomised consent designs and reviews some of the ethical issues. All identified published cancer treatment trials using a randomised consent design are considered in some detail. Reasons for and against the use of these designs are summarised.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Altman
- Medical Statistics Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, U.K
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Tierney JF, Mosseri V, Stewart LA, Souhami RL, Parmar MK. Adjuvant chemotherapy for soft-tissue sarcoma: review and meta-analysis of the published results of randomised clinical trials. Br J Cancer 1995; 72:469-75. [PMID: 7640234 PMCID: PMC2034002 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1995.357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fifteen published randomised trials comparing adjuvant chemotherapy with no chemotherapy in soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) were identified (1546 patients). A qualitative review and a meta-analysis of this published literature were performed. With the qualitative review it was not possible to synthesise the apparently conflicting results of individual trials. The meta-analysis of the published data suggests an improvement in survival at 2 years (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.53-0.99, P = 0.044) and at 5 years (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.45-0.78, P = 0.0002) in favour of chemotherapy. However, the assumptions and approximations required to conduct this quantitative summary demand that the results are interpreted with caution. The only reliable means of assessing the current evidence on whether adjuvant chemotherapy has a role in the treatment of patients with STS, is to collect, check and reanalyse individual patients data (IPD) from each trial centrally, and formally combine the results in a stratified time-to-event analysis. Such an IPD analysis is currently being undertaken by an international collaborative group.
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Machin D, Parmar MK. Hyperthermia in cancer treatment. Lancet 1995; 345:1635-6; author reply 1636-7. [PMID: 7783551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the reproducibility of the prognostic factor findings of Parmar et al. [1], in a routine urological practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS The superficial tumour recurrence-free rate has been analysed for 232 newly diagnosed consecutive patients with Ta.T1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. All patients were without carcinoma in situ or muscle invasion at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS Applying the prognostic factors recommended (number of tumours at diagnosis; tumour recurrence at first 3-month cystoscopy) patients with Ta.T1 bladder cancer may be divided into three distinct groups with significantly different chances of superficial bladder tumour recurrence. CONCLUSION Two simple clinical criteria provide a reliable guide to the likelihood of tumour recurrence in patients with Ta.T1 bladder cancer. The modification of follow-up cystoscopy schedules on this basis requires prospective study.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Reading
- Department of Urology, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Gibson D, Harvey AJ, Everett V, Parmar MK. Is double data entry necessary? The CHART trials. CHART Steering Committee. Continuous, Hyperfractionated, Accelerated Radiotherapy. Control Clin Trials 1994; 15:482-8. [PMID: 7851109 DOI: 10.1016/0197-2456(94)90005-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
There is some controversy over the need for double data entry in clinical trials. In particular, does the number and types of errors identified with this approach justify the extra effort involved? We report the results of a study carried out to address this question. Our main outcome measure was the frequency and types of errors involved in the entry of data for the CHART (continuous, hyperfractionated, accelerated radiotherapy) trials. Data were reentered for a sample of 44 patients by a data manager other than the one making the initial entry. The second entry was then compared with the first entry. The error rate for the two entries combined was 14 per 10,000 data items (fields) (95% confidence interval 10, 19). The error rate for the initial entry alone was 15 per 10,000 fields (95% confidence interval 9.5, 22), and the vital/important error rate (defined as any error on a principal outcome measure or a major error on any other endpoint or variable) was 2.5 per 10,000 fields (95% confidence interval 0.68, 6.4). On this evidence double data entry is not performed for the CHART trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gibson
- Medical Research Council, Cancer Trials Office, Cambridge, England
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Abstract
Group sequential methods are becoming increasingly popular for monitoring and analysing large controlled trials, especially clinical trials. They not only allow trialists to monitor the data as it accumulates, but also reduce the expected sample size. Such methods are traditionally based on preserving the overall type I error by increasing the conservatism of the hypothesis tests performed at any single analysis. Using methods which are based on hypothesis testing in this way makes point estimation and the calculation of confidence intervals difficult and controversial. We describe a class of group sequential procedures based on a single parameter which reflects initial scepticism towards unexpectedly large effects. These procedures have good expected and maximum sample sizes, and lead to natural point and interval estimates of the treatment difference. Hypothesis tests, point estimates and interval estimates calculated using this procedure are consistent with each other, and tests and estimates made at the end of the trial are consistent with interim tests and estimates. This class of sequential tests can be considered in both a traditional group sequential manner or as a Bayesian solution to the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Grossman
- Department of Community Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Popert RJ, Goodall J, Coptcoat MJ, Thompson PM, Parmar MK, Masters JR. Superficial bladder cancer: the response of a marker tumour to a single intravesical instillation of epirubicin. Br J Urol 1994; 74:195-9. [PMID: 7921938 DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1994.tb16585.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the response of a marker tumour to a single instillation of intravesical epirubicin. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eighty-one patients (54 men, 27 women) with a mean age of 69.3 years (range 36-92) with superficial bladder cancer were randomized to receive a single instillation of intravesical epirubicin. At the initial cystoscopy all but one papillary marker tumour was resected. Subsequently the patients were randomized to receive either intravesical epirubicin at a concentration of 1 mg/ml (n = 40) or 2 mg/ml (n = 41) in 50 ml of saline for 1 h. The response of the marker tumour was determined at 3 months (first check cystoscopy). The toxicity associated with both treatments was also recorded. RESULTS A complete response (no visible or microscopic bladder carcinoma) was observed in 46% (95% confidence interval (CI) 35-57%) of patients. No patient experienced systemic side-effects. Chemical cystitis and bladder irritability were the most frequent local side-effects, occurring in 15% (95% CI 8-24%) of the patients. CONCLUSIONS A single instillation of intravesical epirubicin has a demonstrable effect in superficial bladder cancer. The results compare favourably with more onerous regimes. Side-effects were minimal at 1 mg/ml and acceptable at 2 mg/ml.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Popert
- Department of Urology, King's College Hospital, London, UK
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