Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33836710›Full record

SynthesisBMC cancer2021

Frequent fragility of randomized controlled trials for HCC treatment.

Hao Zhang, Jingtao Li, Wenting Zeng

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

3 authors.

Hao ZhangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Key Discipline of Gguangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, #151 Yanjiang Road, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong Province, China.
Jingtao LiDepartment of liver diseases (I), The Hospital Affiliated to Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712000, Shaanxi Province, China. lijingtao555@163.com.
Wenting ZengDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Key Discipline of Gguangdong Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, #151 Yanjiang Road, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong Province, China. 13609645855@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2372-5066

Funding

Innovation Team of Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine NO.2019-YL05National Natural Science Foundation of China No. 81603612Science and Technology Department of Shaanxi Province NO.2018KJXX-093
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe fragility index (FI) of trial results can provide a measure of confidence in the positive effects reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The aim of this study was to calculate the FI of RCTs supporting HCC treatments.

methodsA methodological systematic review of RCTs in HCC treatments was conducted. Two-arm studies with randomized and positive results for a time-to-event outcome were eligible for the FI calculation.

resultsA total of 6 trails were included in this analysis. The median FI was 0.5 (IQR 0-10). FI was ≤7 in 4 (66.7%) of 6 trials; in those trials the fragility quotient was ≤1%.

conclusionMany phase 3 RCTs supporting HCC treatments have a low FI, which challenges the confidence in concluding the superiority of these drugs over control treatments.

Indexed as

Models, StatisticalRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCarcinoma, HepatocellularClinical Trials, Phase III as TopicHumansLiver NeoplasmsOutcome Assessment, Health CareEndpointFragility indexRandomized controlled trials

Identifiers

PMID33836710
PMCPMC8034173

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.