Quantification of harms in cancer screening trials: literature review.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess how often harm is quantified in randomised trials of cancer screening.

Design

Two authors independently extracted data on harms from randomised cancer screening trials. Binary outcomes were described as proportions and continuous outcomes with medians and interquartile ranges.

Data sources

For cancer screening previously assessed in a Cochrane review, we identified trials from their reference lists and updated the search in CENTRAL. For cancer screening not assessed in a Cochrane review, we searched CENTRAL, Medline, and Embase.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Randomised trials that assessed the efficacy of cancer screening for reducing incidence of cancer, cancer specific mortality, and/or all cause mortality.

Data extraction

SUBMITTER: Heleno B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4793399 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature