biostudies-literatureLatimer NRYorkshire Cancer Research17https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10802004biostudies-literatureUnknown24(1)<h4>Background</h4>Treatment switching in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is a problem for health technology assessment when substantial proportions of patients switch onto effective treatments that would not be available in standard clinical practice. Often statistical methods are used to adjust for switching: these can be applied in different ways, and performance has been assessed in simulation studies, but not in real-world case studies. We assessed the performance of adjustment methods described in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Decision Support Unit Technical Support Document 16, applying them to an RCT comparing panitumumab to best supportive care (BSC) in colorectal cancer, in which 76% of patients randomised to BSC switched onto panitumumab. The RCT resultedBMC medical research methodologyA cautionary tale: an evaluation of the performance of treatment switching adjustment methods in a real world case study.PMC10802004S406NLLatimer NRCampioni MDewdney AfalseA cautionary tale: an evaluation of the performance of treatment switching adjustment methods in a real world case study.<h4>Background</h4>Treatment switching in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is a problem for health technology assessment when substantial proportions of patients switch onto effective treatments that would not be available in standard clinical practice. Often statistical methods are used to adjust for switching: these can be applied in different ways, and performance has been assessed in simulation studies, but not in real-world case studies. We assessed the performance of adjustment methods described in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Decision Support Unit Technical Support Document 16, applying them to an RCT comparing panitumumab to best supportive care (BSC) in colorectal cancer, in which 76% of patients randomised to BSC switched onto panitumumab. The RCT resulted2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jan2026-07-15T02:30:29.573Z2024-10-17T19:28:15.184ZS-EPMC108020043825399610.1186/s12874-024-02140-6