Meta-analysis of the alpha/beta ratio for prostate cancer in the presence of an overall time factor: bad news, good news, or no news?

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To present a novel method for meta-analysis of the fractionation sensitivity of tumors as applied to prostate cancer in the presence of an overall time factor.

Methods and materials

A systematic search for radiation dose-fractionation trials in prostate cancer was performed using PubMed and by manual search. Published trials comparing standard fractionated external beam radiation therapy with alternative fractionation were eligible. For each trial the α/β ratio and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted, and the data were synthesized with each study weighted by the inverse variance. An overall time factor was included in the analysis, and its influence on α/β was investigated.

Results

Five studies involving 1965 patients were included in the meta-anal

SUBMITTER: Vogelius IR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3556929 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature