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Butterfield LH, Najjar YG. Immunotherapy combination approaches: mechanisms, biomarkers and clinical observations. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:399-416. [PMID: 38057451 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00973-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The approval of the first immune checkpoint inhibitors provided a paradigm shift for the treatment of malignancies across a broad range of indications. Whereas initially, single-agent immune checkpoint inhibition was used, increasing numbers of patients are now treated with combination immune checkpoint blockade, where non-redundant mechanisms of action of the individual agents generally lead to higher response rates. Furthermore, immune checkpoint therapy has been combined with various other therapeutic modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other immunotherapeutics such as vaccines, adoptive cellular therapies, cytokines and others, in an effort to maximize clinical efficacy. Currently, a large number of clinical trials test combination therapies with an immune checkpoint inhibitor as a backbone. However, proceeding without inclusion of broad, if initially exploratory, biomarker investigations may ultimately slow progress, as so far, few combinations have yielded clinical successes based on clinical data alone. Here, we present the rationale for combination therapies and discuss clinical data from clinical trials across the immuno-oncology spectrum. Moreover, we discuss the evolution of biomarker approaches and highlight the potential new directions that comprehensive biomarker studies can yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa H Butterfield
- University of California San Francisco, Microbiology and Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Werner W, Kuzminskaya M, Lurje I, Tacke F, Hammerich L. Overcoming Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Liver Cancer with Combination Therapy: Stronger Together? Semin Liver Dis 2024; 44:159-179. [PMID: 38806159 PMCID: PMC11245330 DOI: 10.1055/a-2334-8311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer, represented mainly by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is one of the most common and deadliest tumors worldwide. While surgical resection or liver transplantation are the best option in early disease stages, these tumors often present in advanced stages and systemic treatment is required to improve survival time. The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has had a positive impact especially on the treatment of advanced cancers, thereby establishing immunotherapy as part of first-line treatment in HCC and CCA. Nevertheless, low response rates reflect on the usually cold or immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment of primary liver cancer. In this review, we aim to summarize mechanisms of resistance leading to tumor immune escape with a special focus on the composition of tumor microenvironment in both HCC and CCA, also reflecting on recent important developments in ICI combination therapy. Furthermore, we discuss how combination of ICIs with established primary liver cancer treatments (e.g. multikinase inhibitors and chemotherapy) as well as more complex combinations with state-of-the-art therapeutic concepts may reshape the tumor microenvironment, leading to higher response rates and long-lasting antitumor immunity for primary liver cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Werner
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzminskaya
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabella Lurje
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Linda Hammerich
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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White IR, Szubert AJ, Choodari-Oskooei B, Walker AS, Parmar MKB. When should factorial designs be used for late-phase randomised controlled trials? Clin Trials 2024; 21:162-170. [PMID: 37904490 PMCID: PMC7615816 DOI: 10.1177/17407745231206261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A 2×2 factorial design evaluates two interventions (A versus control and B versus control) by randomising to control, A-only, B-only or both A and B together. Extended factorial designs are also possible (e.g. 3×3 or 2×2×2). Factorial designs often require fewer resources and participants than alternative randomised controlled trials, but they are not widely used. We identified several issues that investigators considering this design need to address, before they use it in a late-phase setting. METHODS We surveyed journal articles published in 2000-2022 relating to designing factorial randomised controlled trials. We identified issues to consider based on these and our personal experiences. RESULTS We identified clinical, practical, statistical and external issues that make factorial randomised controlled trials more desirable. Clinical issues are (1) interventions can be easily co-administered; (2) risk of safety issues from co-administration above individual risks of the separate interventions is low; (3) safety or efficacy data are wanted on the combination intervention; (4) potential for interaction (e.g. effect of A differing when B administered) is low; (5) it is important to compare interventions with other interventions balanced, rather than allowing randomised interventions to affect the choice of other interventions; (6) eligibility criteria for different interventions are similar. Practical issues are (7) recruitment is not harmed by testing many interventions; (8) each intervention and associated toxicities is unlikely to reduce either adherence to the other intervention or overall follow-up; (9) blinding is easy to implement or not required. Statistical issues are (10) a suitable scale of analysis can be identified; (11) adjustment for multiplicity is not required; (12) early stopping for efficacy or lack of benefit can be done effectively. External issues are (13) adequate funding is available and (14) the trial is not intended for licensing purposes. An overarching issue (15) is that factorial design should give a lower sample size requirement than alternative designs. Across designs with varying non-adherence, retention, intervention effects and interaction effects, 2×2 factorial designs require lower sample size than a three-arm alternative when one intervention effect is reduced by no more than 24%-48% in the presence of the other intervention compared with in the absence of the other intervention. CONCLUSIONS Factorial designs are not widely used and should be considered more often using our issues to consider. Low potential for at most small to modest interaction is key, for example, where the interventions have different mechanisms of action or target different aspects of the disease being studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R White
- Ian R White, MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, 2nd Floor, 90 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LJ, UK.
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Emura T, Ditzhaus M, Dobler D, Murotani K. Factorial survival analysis for treatment effects under dependent censoring. Stat Methods Med Res 2024; 33:61-79. [PMID: 38069825 DOI: 10.1177/09622802231215805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Factorial analyses offer a powerful nonparametric means to detect main or interaction effects among multiple treatments. For survival outcomes, for example, from clinical trials, such techniques can be adopted for comparing reasonable quantifications of treatment effects. The key difficulty to solve in survival analysis concerns the proper handling of censoring. So far, all existing factorial analyses for survival data have been developed under the independent censoring assumption, which is too strong for many applications. As a solution, the central aim of this article is to develop new methods for factorial survival analyses under quite general dependent censoring regimes. This will be accomplished by combining existing nonparametric methods for factorial survival analyses with techniques developed for survival copula models. As a result, we will present an appealing F-test that exhibits sound performance in our simulation study. The new methods are illustrated in a real data analysis. We implement the proposed method in an R function surv.factorial(.) in the R package compound.Cox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Emura
- Department of Statistical Data Science, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, Japan
- Biostatistics Center, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Marc Ditzhaus
- Faculty of Mathematics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
| | - Dennis Dobler
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Kenta Murotani
- Biostatistics Center, Kurume University, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
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Kahan BC, Hall SS, Beller EM, Birchenall M, Chan AW, Elbourne D, Little P, Fletcher J, Golub RM, Goulao B, Hopewell S, Islam N, Zwarenstein M, Juszczak E, Montgomery AA. Reporting of Factorial Randomized Trials: Extension of the CONSORT 2010 Statement. JAMA 2023; 330:2106-2114. [PMID: 38051324 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.19793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Importance Transparent reporting of randomized trials is essential to facilitate critical appraisal and interpretation of results. Factorial trials, in which 2 or more interventions are assessed in the same set of participants, have unique methodological considerations. However, reporting of factorial trials is suboptimal. Objective To develop a consensus-based extension to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 Statement for factorial trials. Design Using the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) methodological framework, the CONSORT extension for factorial trials was developed by (1) generating a list of reporting recommendations for factorial trials using a scoping review of methodological articles identified using a MEDLINE search (from inception to May 2019) and supplemented with relevant articles from the personal collections of the authors; (2) a 3-round Delphi survey between January and June 2022 to identify additional items and assess the importance of each item, completed by 104 panelists from 14 countries; and (3) a hybrid consensus meeting attended by 15 panelists to finalize the selection and wording of items for the checklist. Findings This CONSORT extension for factorial trials modifies 16 of the 37 items in the CONSORT 2010 checklist and adds 1 new item. The rationale for the importance of each item is provided. Key recommendations are (1) the reason for using a factorial design should be reported, including whether an interaction is hypothesized, (2) the treatment groups that form the main comparisons should be clearly identified, and (3) for each main comparison, the estimated interaction effect and its precision should be reported. Conclusions and Relevance This extension of the CONSORT 2010 Statement provides guidance on the reporting of factorial randomized trials and should facilitate greater understanding of and transparency in their reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie S Hall
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine M Beller
- Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Megan Birchenall
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - An-Wen Chan
- Women's College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Diana Elbourne
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Little
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - John Fletcher
- The BMJ, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert M Golub
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Beatriz Goulao
- Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Sally Hopewell
- Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nazrul Islam
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- The BMJ, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, United Kingdom
| | - Merrick Zwarenstein
- Centre For Studies in Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edmund Juszczak
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Kahan BC, Hall SS, Beller EM, Birchenall M, Elbourne D, Juszczak E, Little P, Fletcher J, Golub RM, Goulao B, Hopewell S, Islam N, Zwarenstein M, Chan AW, Montgomery AA. Consensus Statement for Protocols of Factorial Randomized Trials: Extension of the SPIRIT 2013 Statement. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2346121. [PMID: 38051535 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Trial protocols outline a trial's objectives as well as the methods (design, conduct, and analysis) that will be used to meet those objectives, and transparent reporting of trial protocols ensures objectives are clear and facilitates appraisal regarding the suitability of study methods. Factorial trials, in which 2 or more interventions are assessed in the same set of participants, have unique methodological considerations. However, no extension of the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2013 Statement, which provides guidance on reporting of trial protocols, for factorial trials is available. Objective To develop a consensus-based extension to the SPIRIT 2013 Statement for factorial trials. Evidence Review The SPIRIT extension for factorial trials was developed using the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) methodological framework. First, a list of reporting recommendations was generated using a scoping review of methodological articles identified using a MEDLINE search (inception to May 2019), which was supplemented with relevant articles from the personal collections of the authors. Second, a 3-round Delphi survey (January to June 2022, completed by 104 panelists from 14 countries) was conducted to assess the importance of items and identify additional recommendations. Third, a hybrid consensus meeting was held, attended by 15 panelists to finalize selection and wording of the checklist. Findings This SPIRIT extension for factorial trials modified 9 of the 33 items in the SPIRIT 2013 checklist. Key reporting recommendations were that the rationale for using a factorial design should be provided, including whether an interaction is hypothesized; the treatment groups that will form the main comparisons should be identified; and statistical methods for each main comparison should be provided, including how interactions will be assessed. Conclusions and Relevance In this consensus statement, 9 factorial-specific items were provided that should be addressed in all protocols of factorial trials to increase the trial's utility and transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie S Hall
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine M Beller
- Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University, Robina, Australia
| | - Megan Birchenall
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Elbourne
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edmund Juszczak
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Little
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Robert M Golub
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Beatriz Goulao
- Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
| | - Sally Hopewell
- Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nazrul Islam
- Primary Care Research Centre, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- The BMJ, London, United Kingdom
| | - Merrick Zwarenstein
- Centre For Studies in Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - An-Wen Chan
- Women's College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Jeemon P, Reethu S, Ganapathi S, Lakshmi Kanth LR, Punnoose E, Abdullakutty J, Mattumal S, Joseph J, Joseph S, Venkateswaran C, Sunder P, Babu AS, Padickaparambil S, Neenumol KR, Chacko S, Shajahan S, Krishnankutty K, Devis S, Joseph R, Shemija B, John SA, Harikrishnan S. A multicentric, 2 × 2 factorial, randomised, open-label trial to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of structured physical activity training and cognitive behavioural therapy versus usual care in heart failure patients: a protocol for the PACT-HF trial. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:210. [PMID: 36105556 PMCID: PMC9445562 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18047.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Heart failure (HF) is a multi-morbid chronic condition, which adversely affects the quality of life of the affected individual. Engaging the patient and their caregivers in self-care is known to reduce mortality, rehospitalisation and improve quality of life among HF patients. The PACT-HF trial will answer whether clinical benefits in terms of mortality and hospitalisation outcomes can be demonstrated by using a pragmatic design to explore the specific effects of physical activity, and cognitive behavioural therapy in HF patients in India. Methods: We will conduct a 2 × 2 factorial, randomized, open-label trial, which aims to see if rehabilitation strategies of structured physical activity training and cognitive behavioural therapy for depression and self-management reduce the risk of repeat hospitalisation and deaths in HF patients in India. Patients will be randomised to (1) physical activity + usual care (2) cognitive behaviour therapy + usual care, (3) physical activity + cognitive behaviour therapy + usual care, and (4) usual care at 1:1:1:1 ratio. Time to mortality will be the primary outcome. A composite of mortality and hospitalisation for HF will be the main secondary outcome. Additional secondary outcomes will include 'days alive and out of hospital', cumulative hospitalisation, quality of life, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire score, depression score, six minutes walking distance, handgrip strength, and adherence to medicines and lifestyle. The effects of intervention on the primary outcome will be estimated from Cox proportional hazard models. For the continuous secondary outcome variables, differences between randomised groups will be estimated from linear mixed models or generalised estimating equations (GEE) as appropriate. Discussion: PACT-HF is designed to provide reliable evidence about the balance of benefits and risks conferred by physical activity and cognitive behavioural therapy-based cardiac rehabilitation for those with HF, irrespective of their initial disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panniyammakal Jeemon
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF) and Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India
| | - Salim Reethu
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | - Sanjay Ganapathi
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | - Lakshmipuram Rajappan Lakshmi Kanth
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | | | | | | | | | - Stigi Joseph
- Little flower hospital and research centre, Angamali, India
| | | | | | - Abraham Samuel Babu
- Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Sebastian Padickaparambil
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Kandagathuparambil Rajan Neenumol
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | - Susanna Chacko
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | - Shamla Shajahan
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
| | | | - Selma Devis
- Little flower hospital and research centre, Angamali, India
| | | | | | | | - Sivadasanpillai Harikrishnan
- ICMR-Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Heart Failure (CARE-HF), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, Kerala, 695011, India
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White IR, Choodari-Oskooei B, Sydes MR, Kahan BC, McCabe L, Turkova A, Esmail H, Gibb DM, Ford D. Combining factorial and multi-arm multi-stage platform designs to evaluate multiple interventions efficiently. Clin Trials 2022; 19:432-441. [PMID: 35579066 PMCID: PMC9373200 DOI: 10.1177/17407745221093577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Factorial-MAMS design platform designs have many advantages, but the practical advantages and disadvantages of combining the two designs have not been explored. METHODS We propose practical methods for a combined design within the platform trial paradigm where some interventions are not expected to interact and could be given together. RESULTS We describe the combined design and suggest diagrams that can be used to represent it. Many properties are common both to standard factorial designs, including the need to consider interactions between interventions and the impact of intervention efficacy on power of other comparisons, and to standard multi-arm multi-stage designs, including the need to pre-specify procedures for starting and stopping intervention comparisons. We also identify some specific features of the factorial-MAMS design: timing of interim and final analyses should be determined by calendar time or total observed events; some non-factorial modifications may be useful; eligibility criteria should be broad enough to include any patient eligible for any part of the randomisation; stratified randomisation may conveniently be performed sequentially; and analysis requires special care to use only concurrent controls. CONCLUSION A combined factorial-MAMS design can combine the efficiencies of factorial trials and multi-arm multi-stage platform trials. It allows us to address multiple research questions under one protocol and to test multiple new treatment options, which is particularly important when facing a new emergent infection such as COVID-19.
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Rajabi-Naeeni M, Dolatian M, Qorbani M, Vaezi AA. Effect of omega-3 and vitamin D co-supplementation on psychological distress in reproductive-aged women with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D: A randomized controlled trial. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e2342. [PMID: 34473420 PMCID: PMC8613419 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Psychological distresses and pre-diabetes are among the risk factors of developing type-II diabetes. The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of omega-3 and vitamin D co-supplementation on psychological distresses in women of reproductive age with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D. METHODS The present factorial clinical trial was conducted on 168 women of reproductive age with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D. These participants were selected by stratified random sampling and were assigned to four groups for 8 weeks: group 1 (placebo group), group 2 (omega-3 group), group 3 (vitamin D group), and group 4 (co-supplement group). The medication and placebo doses being two 1000-mg tablets each day for omega-3 and 50,000-IU pearls every 2 weeks for vitamin D. Fasting blood glucose and vitamin D were measured at the beginning of the study. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were completed by the participants at the start and end of the intervention. RESULTS A significant difference was observed in terms of reduction in anxiety and improvement in sleep quality in the co-supplementation compared to the other three groups (p < .05). There was also a significant difference between the group receiving both supplements and the group receiving only placebos in terms of reduction in depression and stress (p < .05). CONCLUSION Vitamin D and omega-3 co-supplementation improved depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in women of reproductive age with pre-diabetes and hypovitaminosis D. Therefore, these two supplements can be recommended for improving the mental health of this group of women. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials Code: IRCT20100130003226N17. Registered on February 9, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Rajabi-Naeeni
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahrokh Dolatian
- Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Qorbani
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.,Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Abbas Vaezi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
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10
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Leifer ES, Troendle JF, Kolecki A, Follmann DA. Joint testing of overall and simple effects for the two-by-two factorial trial design. Clin Trials 2021; 18:521-528. [PMID: 34407667 DOI: 10.1177/17407745211014493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The two-by-two factorial design randomizes participants to receive treatment A alone, treatment B alone, both treatments A and B(AB), or neither treatment (C). When the combined effect of A and B is less than the sum of the A and B effects, called a subadditive interaction, there can be low power to detect the A effect using an overall test, that is, factorial analysis, which compares the A and AB groups to the C and B groups. Such an interaction may have occurred in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes blood pressure trial (ACCORD BP) which simultaneously randomized participants to receive intensive or standard blood pressure, control and intensive or standard glycemic control. For the primary outcome of major cardiovascular event, the overall test for efficacy of intensive blood pressure control was nonsignificant. In such an instance, simple effect tests of A versus C and B versus C may be useful since they are not affected by a subadditive interaction, but they can have lower power since they use half the participants of the overall trial. We investigate multiple testing procedures which exploit the overall tests' sample size advantage and the simple tests' robustness to a potential interaction. METHODS In the time-to-event setting, we use the stratified and ordinary logrank statistics' asymptotic means to calculate the power of the overall and simple tests under various scenarios. We consider the A and B research questions to be unrelated and allocate 0.05 significance level to each. For each question, we investigate three multiple testing procedures which allocate the type 1 error in different proportions for the overall and simple effects as well as the AB effect. The Equal Allocation 3 procedure allocates equal type 1 error to each of the three effects, the Proportional Allocation 2 procedure allocates 2/3 of the type 1 error to the overall A (respectively, B) effect and the remaining type 1 error to the AB effect, and the Equal Allocation 2 procedure allocates equal amounts to the simple A (respectively, B) and AB effects. These procedures are applied to ACCORD BP. RESULTS Across various scenarios, Equal Allocation 3 had robust power for detecting a true effect. For ACCORD BP, all three procedures would have detected a benefit of intensive glycemia control. CONCLUSIONS When there is no interaction, Equal Allocation 3 has less power than a factorial analysis. However, Equal Allocation 3 often has greater power when there is an interaction. The R package factorial2x2 can be used to explore the power gain or loss for different scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Leifer
- Office of Biostatistics Research, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James F Troendle
- Office of Biostatistics Research, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alexis Kolecki
- Office of Biostatistics Research, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dean A Follmann
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
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11
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Tan AC, Bagley SJ, Wen PY, Lim M, Platten M, Colman H, Ashley DM, Wick W, Chang SM, Galanis E, Mansouri A, Khagi S, Mehta MP, Heimberger AB, Puduvalli VK, Reardon DA, Sahebjam S, Simes J, Antonia SJ, Berry D, Khasraw M. Systematic review of combinations of targeted or immunotherapy in advanced solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-002459. [PMID: 34215688 PMCID: PMC8256733 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
With rapid advances in our understanding of cancer, there is an expanding number of potential novel combination therapies, including novel-novel combinations. Identifying which combinations are appropriate and in which subpopulations are among the most difficult questions in medical research. We conducted a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided systematic review of trials of novel-novel combination therapies involving immunotherapies or molecular targeted therapies in advanced solid tumors. A MEDLINE search was conducted using a modified Cochrane Highly Sensitive Search Strategy for published clinical trials between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2020, in the top-ranked medical and oncology journals. Trials were evaluated according to a criterion adapted from previously published Food and Drug Administration guidance and other key considerations in designing trials of combinations. This included the presence of a strong biological rationale, the use of a new established or emerging predictive biomarker prospectively incorporated into the clinical trial design, appropriate comparator arms of monotherapy or supportive external data sources and a primary endpoint demonstrating a clinically meaningful benefit. Of 32 identified trials, there were 11 (34%) trials of the novel-novel combination of anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) therapy, and 10 (31%) trials of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) combination therapy. 20 (62.5%) trials were phase II trials, while 12 (37.5%) were phase III trials. Most (72%) trials lacked significant preclinical evidence supporting the development of the combination in the given indication. A majority of trials (69%) were conducted in biomarker unselected populations or used pre-existing biomarkers within the given indication for patient selection. Most studies (66%) were considered to have appropriate comparator arms or had supportive external data sources such as prior studies of monotherapy. All studies were evaluated as selecting a clinically meaningful primary endpoint. In conclusion, designing trials to evaluate novel-novel combination therapies presents numerous challenges to demonstrate efficacy in a comprehensive manner. A greater understanding of biological rationale for combinations and incorporating predictive biomarkers may improve effective evaluation of combination therapies. Innovative statistical methods and increasing use of external data to support combination approaches are potential strategies that may improve the efficiency of trial design. Designing trials to evaluate novel-novel combination therapies presents numerous challenges to demonstrate efficacy in a comprehensive manner. A greater understanding of biological rationale for combinations and incorporating predictive biomarkers may improve effective evaluation of combination therapies. Innovative statistical methods and increasing use of external data to support combination approaches are potential strategies that may improve the efficiency of trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Stephen J Bagley
- Abramson Cancer Center and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Lim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael Platten
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,DKTK CCU Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Howard Colman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - David M Ashley
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susan M Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Evanthia Galanis
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Alireza Mansouri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Simon Khagi
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Minesh P Mehta
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Amy B Heimberger
- Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Vinay K Puduvalli
- Department of Neurooncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - David A Reardon
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Solmaz Sahebjam
- Department of Neuro-oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - John Simes
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Scott J Antonia
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Don Berry
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mustafa Khasraw
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Moodie EEM, Krakow EF. Precision medicine: Statistical methods for estimating adaptive treatment strategies. Bone Marrow Transplant 2020; 55:1890-1896. [PMID: 32286507 DOI: 10.1038/s41409-020-0871-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
SERIES EDITORS' NOTE The beauty of science is that all the important things are unpredictable. Freeman Dyson In the typescript which follows, Moodie and Krakow tackle the topical issue of precision medicine and statistical methods for estimating adaptive treatment strategies. This may be the most difficult typescript in our series so far for non-statisticians to understand. It even has equations! But please bear with the authors and give it a chance. One needs not to understand the equations to get the thrust of the strategy.Precision medicine as we discuss elsewhere, is misnamed. In statistics and mathematics precision refers to getting the same answer again and again. It does not mean getting the correct answer, the term for which is accuracy, not precision. However, precision is the current buzz word so there's no point trying to get this straight. When we think about precision we need to consider two elements, reproducibility and replicability. Reproducibility means you give me your data and computer code and I come to the same conclusion you did. Replicability is another matter. I try to replicate your experiment and hopefully reach the same conclusion. In medicine, replicability is obviously more important than reproducibility but things which cannot be reproduced are unlikely to be replicated.As the authors discuss, one can think about precision medicine as one does a family vacation. A best vacation depends on several co-variates: where you live, your prior travel experiences, advice from family and friends, online reviews, Wikitravel, cost, your travel budget, if you have kids and many other co-variates. Consequently, there is unlikely to be a best vacation for everyone. Yours might be a week at the Ritz Carlton Cancun with dinner at Careyes and ours, a week at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee with dinner at Mader's German Restaurant (bring simvastatin). Similarly, it is unlikely there is a best therapy of acute myeloid leukemia, a best donor, a best conditioning regimen, a best posttransplant immune suppressive regimen etc. and certainly no best combination of these co-variates for your patient.The question Moodie and Krakow tackle is how we can determine the best therapy or combination of therapies for someone receiving a haematopoietic cell transplant. Although the default answer is typically: randomized clinical trials are the gold standard, these inform us of the outcome of a cohort of subjects, not individuals. In many instances, although a new therapy may be shown to be better than an old one in a controlled randomized trial the benefit is not uniformly distributed. Some subjects in the experimental cohort may do worse with the new therapy compared with controls, others better. The question is who are the winners and losers? We cannot do a controlled randomized trial of one person. Moodie and Krakow discuss statistical tools to help us sort this out.Again, please do not be put off by the equations; forgetaboutit. The overriding message is not so complex, and important. We are always standing by on twitter @BMTStats to help. But don't confuse us with Match.com. And, by the way, Freeman Dyson was a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton but never got his PhD.Robert Peter Gale, Imperial College London, and Mei-Jie Zhang, Medical College of Wisconsin, Center for International Blood and Marrow Research (CIBMTR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica E M Moodie
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, 1020 Pine Ave W, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A2, Canada
| | - Elizabeth F Krakow
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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13
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Kahan BC, Tsui M, Jairath V, Scott AM, Altman DG, Beller E, Elbourne D. Reporting of randomized factorial trials was frequently inadequate. J Clin Epidemiol 2020; 117:52-59. [PMID: 31585174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Factorial designs can allow efficient evaluation of multiple treatments within a single trial. We evaluated the design, analysis, and reporting in a sample of factorial trials. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Review of 2 × 2 factorial trials evaluating health-related interventions and outcomes in humans. Using Medline, we identified articles published between January 2015 and March 2018. We randomly selected 100 articles for inclusion. RESULTS Most trials (78%) did not provide a rationale for using a factorial design. Only 63 trials (63%) assessed the interaction for the primary outcome, and 39/63 (62%) made a further assessment for at least one secondary outcome. 12/63 trials (19%) identified a significant interaction for the primary outcome and 16/39 trials (41%) for at least one secondary outcome. Inappropriate methods of analysis to protect against potential negative effects from interactions were common, with 18 trials (18%) choosing the analysis method based on a preliminary test for interaction, and 13% (n = 10/75) of those conducting a factorial analysis including an interaction term in the model. CONCLUSION Reporting of factorial trials was often suboptimal, and assessment of interactions was poor. Investigators often used inappropriate methods of analysis to try to protect against adverse effects of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan C Kahan
- Pragmatic Clinical Trials Unit, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Michael Tsui
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vipul Jairath
- Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna Mae Scott
- Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice (CREBP), Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia
| | - Douglas G Altman
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elaine Beller
- Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice (CREBP), Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia
| | - Diana Elbourne
- Medical Statistics Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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14
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Rajabi-Naeeni M, Dolatian M, Qorbani M, Vaezi AA. The effect of co supplementation of omega-3 and vitamin D on cardio metabolic risk factors and psychological distress in reproductive-aged women with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2019; 20:799. [PMID: 31888762 PMCID: PMC6937977 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-019-3948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A prediabetic state is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. There are no approved drugs to manage prediabetes. Among the supplements routinely used by individuals, vitamin D and omega-3 have been studied to reduce fasting blood sugar. However, their co-supplementation has not been studied in individuals with prediabetes. This randomized controlled trial is designed to determine the effects of these two supplements on fasting blood sugar, other cardio metabolic risk factors, and psychological distress in reproductive-aged women with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D. METHODS/DESIGN This 2 × 2 factorial, triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial will be done on 168 women of reproductive age diagnosed with prediabetes and hypovitaminosis D. Participants will be randomly assigned equally to four groups: (1) 1000 mg omega-3 fatty acid twice a day + vitamin D placebo every two weeks; (2) omega-3 fatty acid placebo twice a day + 50,000 IU vitamin D every two weeks; (3) 1000 mg omega-3 fatty acid twice a day + 50,000 IU vitamin D every two weeks; (4) omega-3 fatty acid placebo twice a day + vitamin D placebo every two weeks for eight weeks. At the beginning, participants will provide a self-reported questionnaire on the sociodemographic characteristics. At baseline and post-intervention visits, physical activity, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a three-day food record will be collected for each individual. Blood pressure, weight, height, and waist circumference will also be measured. At the beginning and at the end, a blood sample will be used for estimating serum glucose indices (fasting blood sugar and insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, homeostasis model assessment-beta cell function), lipids (triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol), and vitamin D status. Data analysis using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and repeated measures analysis of variance will be conducted through SPSS-24 software. DISCUSSION The primary aim of the present trial is to determine the effect of vitamin D and/or omega-3 on glycemic indices, lipid profiles, psychological distress, blood pressure, and anthropometric indices in prediabetic women with hypovitaminosis D. The results from this trial will provide evidence on the efficacy of these two supplements for preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals. TRIAL REGISTRATION Iran Clinical Trials Registry, IRCT20100130003226N17. Registered on 9 February 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Rajabi-Naeeni
- Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahrokh Dolatian
- Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Qorbani
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Abbas Vaezi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
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15
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The Surveillance After Extremity Tumor Surgery (SAFETY) trial: protocol for a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e029054. [PMID: 31537562 PMCID: PMC6756324 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Following the treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STS) that are not metastatic at presentation, the high risk for local and systemic disease recurrence necessitates post-treatment surveillance. Systemic recurrence is most often detected in the lungs. The most appropriate surveillance frequency and modality remain unknown and, as such, clinical practice is highly varied. We plan to assess the feasibility of conducting a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) that will evaluate the effect on overall 5-year survival of two different surveillance frequencies and imaging modalities in patients with STS who undergo surgical excision with curative intent. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Surveillance After Extremity Tumor Surgery trial will be a multi-centre 2×2 factorial RCT. Patients with non-metastatic primary Grade II or III STS treated with excision will be allocated to one of four treatment arms1: chest radiograph (CXR) every 3 months for 2 years2; CXR every 6 months for 2 years3; chest CT every 3 months for 2 years or4 chest CT every 6 months for 2 years. The primary outcome of the pilot study is the feasibility of a definitive RCT based on a combination of feasibility endpoints. Secondary outcomes for the pilot study include the primary outcome of the definitive trial (overall survival), patient-reported outcomes on anxiety, satisfaction and quality of life, local recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival, treatment-related complications and net healthcare costs related to surveillance. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This trial received provisional ethics approval from the McMaster/Hamilton Health Sciences Research Ethics Board on 7 August 2019 (Project number 7562). Final ethics approval will be obtained prior to commencing patient recruitment. Once feasibility has been established and the definitive protocol is finalised, the study will transition to the definitive study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03944798; Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- The SAFETY Investigators
- Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Ma HL, Xie LZ, Gao JS, Cong J, Deng YY, Ng EHY, Liu JP, Wu XK. Acupuncture and clomiphene for Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSAct): statistical analysis approach with the revision and explanation. Trials 2018; 19:601. [PMID: 30382872 PMCID: PMC6211487 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2942-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy of reproductive-aged women. Clomiphene is regarded as the first-line medical treatment for ovulation induction in PCOS patients and acupuncture is often used as an alternative and complementary treatment for fertility issues such as those associated with PCOS. The efficacy of acupuncture alone or combined with clomiphene still lacks strong supporting evidence. Factorial 2 × 2 designs can be used for the evaluations of two treatments within a single study, to test the main effects of acupuncture and clomiphene and their interactions. METHODS PCOSAct was designed to test the effect of clomiphene and acupuncture by three two-group comparisons in the original protocol. However, the trial was designed as a standard factorial trial and the factorial analysis approach for analyzing the data that were actually obtained during the trial was found to be more appropriate and more powerful than the three two-group comparisons described in the original protocol, so the statistical analysis approach and different datasets of PCOSAct in the primary publication were accordingly changed. DISCUSSION Although the statistical analysis approach used in the primary publication deviated from the statistical analysis planned in the study protocol, focusing on the main effects of the two interventions and their interactions was a more standard approach to a factorial trial and proved to be more suitable and consistent with the characteristics of the trial data. Statistically, the revision is more powerful and precise and should be more useful to the journal and the readers. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese clinical trial registry, ChiCTR-TRC-12002081 . Registered on 20 March 2012. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01573858 . Registered on 4 April 2012.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Li Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Liang-Zhen Xie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Jing-Shu Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Jing Cong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Ying-Ying Deng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Ernest H Y Ng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Jian-Ping Liu
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiao-Ke Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China.
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