The lancet oncology
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2015
Review Historical ArticleOutcomes and endpoints in trials of cancer treatment: the past, present, and future.
Cancer treatment should allow patients to live better or longer lives, and ideally, both. Trial endpoints should show clinically meaningful improvements in patient survival or quality of life. ⋯ Many stakeholders are affected, including regulatory agencies, industry partners, clinicians, and most importantly, patients. In an accompanying Review, reflections from individual stakeholders are incorporated into a discussion of what the future holds for clinical trial endpoints and design.
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Cancer is not one disease. Outcomes and endpoints in trials should incorporate the therapeutic modality and cancer type because these factors affect clinician and patient expectations. ⋯ Improvements in trial design should be accompanied by improvements in available endpoints. Stakeholders need to come together to determine the best approach for research that ensures accountability and optimises the use of available resources.
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2015
ReviewAssessment of the quality of surgery within randomised controlled trials for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal cancer: a systematic review.
Multicentre, randomised, controlled trials (RCTs) provide level 1 evidence for surgery in the treatment of gastro-oesophageal cancer. This systematic review investigated whether standardisation of surgical techniques in RCTs reduces the variation in lymph-node harvest, in-hospital mortality, and locoregional cancer recurrence. ⋯ Factors that reduced adjusted in-hospital mortality included credentialing surgeons through procedural volume and operative reports, and standardisation of surgical techniques. Future RCTs should include an assessment of surgical performance as an important aspect of study design to reduce variation in clinical outcomes.
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The lancet oncology · Jan 2015
ReviewOrgan preservation in rectal cancer: have all questions been answered?
Improved treatment strategies have eliminated local control as the major problem in rectal cancer. With increasing awareness of long-term toxic effects in survivors of rectal cancer, organ-preservation strategies are becoming more popular. ⋯ Additionally, radiotherapy strategies are mainly aimed at intermediate and high-risk rectal tumours, and adaptation of this standard practice for a completely new treatment indication has yet to start. This Review will discuss the options and problems of organ preservation, and address the research questions that need to be answered in the coming years, with a specific focus on radiotherapy.