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Cancer Clinical Trials pp 99–104Cite as

Limitations and Advantages of Meta-analysis in Clinical Trials

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Part of the Recent Results in Cancer Research book series (RECENTCANCER,volume 111)

Abstract

Meta-analysis has recently been applied to a variety of areas in medical research (Collins and Langman 1985; Himel et al. 1986; Collins et al. 1985; Tran and Welt- man 1985). By meta-analysis we mean a quantitative synthesis of data across several different but related studies. This usually entails the application of uniform methods of statistical analyses and/or data presentation. Reasons for performing a meta-analysis include confirmation of a general hypothesis by combining data from related studies, estimation of a general treatment effect by combining data from related studies, generation of hypotheses for further testing, and convincing others of a finding by presenting a systematic summary of all studies related to that finding.

Keywords

  • Average Treatment Effect
  • Classical Hypothesis
  • Public Health Decision
  • Systematic Summary
  • Adjuvant Therapy Trial

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

The research was partially supported by the National Cancer Institute, U10CA 12027, and by American Cancer Society grant RC13.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    H. E. Rockette & C. K. Redmond

Authors
  1. H. E. Rockette
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  2. C. K. Redmond
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Medizinische Biometrie und Informatik, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 325, 6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Dr. Hans Scheurlen

  2. Department of Probability and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7RH, Great Britain

    Dr. Richard Kay

  3. King’s College, School of Medicine and Dentistry, CRC Clinical Trials Centre, Rayne Institute, 123 Coldharbour Lane, London, SE5 9NU, Great Britain

    Professor Dr. Michael Baum

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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Rockette, H.E., Redmond, C.K. (1988). Limitations and Advantages of Meta-analysis in Clinical Trials. In: Scheurlen, H., Kay, R., Baum, M. (eds) Cancer Clinical Trials. Recent Results in Cancer Research, vol 111. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83419-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83419-6_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-83421-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-83419-6

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