Vol 15, No 3 (2019)
Review paper
Published online: 2019-06-26
Critical appraisal of clinical trials in oncology — part II
Oncol Clin Pract 2019;15(3):158-166.
Abstract
The article is the second part of papers presenting informations useful for an independent analysis of the value of published results of clinical trials in oncology. Based on selected examples of clinical trials, a few attempts of critical appraisal of clinical trial assumptions, construction, and interpretation of their results are given. Several non-inferiority trials are discussed. The paper provides examples of publications in which post hoc analyses, grouping of variables, and multiple comparisons were made. Examples of research with a controversial selection of patients and a comparator, as well as studies whose clinical significance of the obtained results is questionable are presented. The aim of our work is to draw the reader’s attention to selected essential elements of clinical trials and the way of presenting their results in order to facilitate practitioners in the independent evaluation of available publications and rational use of clinical trial results in everyday practice in the future.
Keywords: oncologyclinical trialscritical appraisalpublication analysisresearch methodologyinterpretation of results
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