Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29110271›Full record

SynthesisAnnals of surgical oncology2018

Induced Bias Due to Crossover Within Randomized Controlled Trials in Surgical Oncology: A Meta-regression Analysis of Minimally Invasive versus Open Surgery for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancer.

George Garas, Sheraz R Markar, George Malietzis, Hutan Ashrafian, George B Hanna, Emmanouil Zacharakis, Long R Jiao, Athanassios Argiris, Ara Darzi, Thanos Athanasiou

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Annals of surgical oncology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Shared decision making in surgery: A scoping review of the literature.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2020
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Oncological Minimally Invasive Surgery.Journal of oncology · 2019
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

George GarasSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK. g.garas@imperial.ac.uk.
Sheraz R MarkarSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
George MalietzisSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
Hutan AshrafianSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
George B HannaSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
Emmanouil ZacharakisDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Long R JiaoDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Athanassios ArgirisDepartment of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Ara DarziSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
Thanos AthanasiouSurgical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
St Mary's Hospital · GBImperial College London · GBSt. Mary's Hospital · GBThomas Jefferson University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) inform clinical practice and have provided the evidence base for introducing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in surgical oncology. Crossover (unplanned intraoperative conversion of MIS to open surgery) may affect clinical outcomes and the effect size generated from RCTs with homogenization of randomized groups.

objectivesOur aims were to identify modifiable factors associated with crossover and assess the impact of crossover on clinical endpoints.

methodsA systematic review was performed to identify all RCTs comparing MIS with open surgery for gastrointestinal cancer (1990-2017). Meta-regression analysis was performed to analyze factors associated with crossover and the influence of crossover on endpoints, including 30-day mortality, anastomotic leak rate, and early complications.

resultsForty RCTs were included, reporting on 11,625 patients from 320 centers. Crossover was shown to affect one in eight patients (mean 12.6%, range 0-45%) and increased with American Society of Anesthesiologists score (β = + 0.895; p = 0.050). Pretrial surgeon volume (β = - 2.344; p = 0.037), composite RCT quality score (β = - 7.594; p = 0.014), and site of tumor (β = - 12.031; p = 0.021, favoring lower over upper gastrointestinal tumors) showed an inverse relationship with crossover. Importantly, multivariate weighted linear regression revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between crossover and 30-day mortality (β = + 0.125; p = 0.033), anastomotic leak rate (β = + 0.550; p = 0.004), and early complications (β = + 1.255; p = 0.001), based on intention-to-treat analysis.

conclusionsCrossover in trials was associated with an increase in 30-day mortality, anastomotic leak rate, and early complications within the MIS group based on intention-to-treat analysis, although our analysis did not assess causation. Credentialing surgeons by procedural volume and excluding high comorbidity patients from initial trials are important in minimizing crossover and optimizing RCT validity.

Indexed as

BiasDigestive System Surgical ProceduresMinimally Invasive Surgical ProceduresAnastomotic LeakCross-Over StudiesGastrointestinal NeoplasmsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID29110271
PMCPMC5740197
OpenAlexW2767907861

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.