Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T19:48:38.520Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evaluating Treatments for Childhood Cancer: A Process for Critical Appraisal of the Literature and a Summary of the Results

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Ronald D. Barr
Affiliation:
McMaster University and the Children's Hospital at Chedoke-McMaster
William Furlong
Affiliation:
McMaster University
David Feeny
Affiliation:
McMaster University
John Horsman
Affiliation:
McMaster University
Peter Rosenbaum
Affiliation:
McMaster University
Sheila Weitzman
Affiliation:
University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Abstract

An overview of published studies on three common cancers in childhood was conducted to estimate the effectiveness and consequences of treatment. Of 1,016 separate citations, 316 were reviewed in detail but only 162 were deemed to be “useful.” An approach to a structured appraisal of the literature is presented.

Type
General Essays
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Barr, R. D., DeVeber, L. L., Pai, K. M., et al. Management of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute protocols: An update of the Ontario experience. American Journal of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, 1992, 14, 136–39.Google Scholar
2.Barr., R. D., Furlong, W., Dawson, S., et al. Assessment of global health status in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood. American Journal of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, 1993, 15, 271–76.Google Scholar
3.Bernstein, M. L., Leclerc, J. M., Bunin, G., et al. A population-based study of neuroblastoma incidence, survival and mortality in North America. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 1992, 10, 323–29.Google Scholar
4.Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University. How to read clinical journals: III. To learn the clinical course and prognosis of disease. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1981, 124, 869–72.Google Scholar
5.Feeny, D., Barr, R. D., Furlong, W., et al. Quality of life of the treatment process in pediatric oncology: An approach to measurement. In Osoba, D., Effect of cancer on quality of life. Boca Raton: FL, CRC Press, Inc., 1991, 7388.Google Scholar
6.Feeny, D., Furlong, W., Barr, R. D., et al. A comprehensive multi-attribute system for classifying the health status of survivors of childhood cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 1992, 10, 923–28.Google Scholar
7.Feeny, D., Leiper, A., Barr, R. D., et al. The comprehensive assessment of health status in survivors of childhood cancer: Application to high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. British Journal of Cancer, 1993, 67, 1047–52.Google Scholar
8.Fleiss, J. L.Statistical methods for rates and proportions, 2nd ed.New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1981, 212–36.Google Scholar
9.Kramer, M. S., & Feinstein, A. R.Clinical biostatistics — The biostatistics of concordance. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 1981, 29, 111–23.Google Scholar
10.Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G.The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 1977, 33, 671–79.Google Scholar
11.Links, P. S., & Stockwell, M. L.Obstacles in the prevention of psychological sequelae in survivors of childhood cancer. American Journal of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, 1985, 7, 132–40.Google Scholar
12.National Wilms' Tumor Study Committee. Wilms' tumor: Status report, 1990. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 1991, 9, 877–87.Google Scholar
13.Oxman, A. D., & Guyatt, G. H.Guidelines for reading literature reviews. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1988, 138, 697703.Google Scholar
14.Vickers, J. D.Refsys manual. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers BV, 1986.Google Scholar
15.Wheeler, K., Leiper, A. D., Jannoun, L., & Chessells, J. M.Medical cost of curing childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. British Medical Journal, 1988, 296, 162–66.Google Scholar