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- Beard, David J., et al.
(författare)
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Considerations and methods for placebo controls in surgical trials (ASPIRE guidelines)
- 2020
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - 0140-6736. ; 395:10226, s. 828-838
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Placebo comparisons are increasingly being considered for randomised trials assessing the efficacy of surgical interventions. The aim of this Review is to provide a summary of knowledge on placebo controls in surgical trials. A placebo control is a complex type of comparison group in the surgical setting and, although powerful, presents many challenges. This Review outlines what a placebo control entails and present understanding of this tool in the context of surgery. We consider when placebo controls in surgery are acceptable (and when they are desirable) in terms of ethical arguments and regulatory requirements, how a placebo control should be designed, how to identify and mitigate risk for participants in these trials, and how such trials should be done and interpreted. Use of placebo controls is justified in randomised controlled trials of surgical interventions provided there is a strong scientific and ethical rationale. Surgical placebos might be most appropriate when there is poor evidence for the efficacy of the procedure and a justified concern that results of a trial would be associated with high risk of bias, particularly because of the placebo effect. Feasibility work is recommended to optimise the design and implementation of randomised controlled trials. This Review forms an outline for best practice and provides guidance, in the form of the Applying Surgical Placebo in Randomised Evaluations (known as ASPIRE) checklist, for those considering the use of a placebo control in a surgical randomised controlled trial.
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| 2. |
- Catto, James W. F., et al.
(författare)
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MicroRNA in Prostate, Bladder, and Kidney Cancer: A Systematic Review
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Urology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7560 .- 0302-2838. ; 59:5, s. 671-681
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are noncoding RNAs that post- transcriptionally regulate gene expression. Their altered expression and function have been observed in most urologic cancers. MiRNAs represent potential disease biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets. Objective: To review and evaluate the evidence implicating miRNAs in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa), bladder cancer (BCa), and renal cancer. Evidence acquisition: A systematic review was performed using PubMed and Embase to search for reports using strings for microRNA, non- coding RNA, cancer, prostate, bladder, and renal cancer. Identified manuscripts were retrieved and references searched. Selected studies were required to concentrate on the role of miRNA in these urologic cancers. Evidence synthesis: We reviewed articles that focus on this topic. More than 40 miRNAs have been implicated in urologic cancer and many target common carcinogenic pathways. In particular, apoptosis avoidance, cell proliferation, epithelial- to- mesenchymal transition, angiogenic signalling, and the generation of androgen independence are targeted or facilitated by more than one miRNA. Little work has been done to evaluate the translational applications for this knowledge to date. Novel therapeutic strategies have been developed and are under investigation to selectively modulate miRNAs; such work would potentially enable personalised tumour therapy. Conclusions: MiRNAs appear to be important modulators of urologic cancer. Their expression is frequently altered in these tumours, and many are functionally implicated in their pathogenesis. They require evaluation to determine the translational role and therapeutic potential for this knowledge. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B. V. on behalf of European Association of Urology. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Elliott, Daisy, et al.
(författare)
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Understanding and Improving Recruitment to Randomised Controlled Trials : Qualitative Research Approaches
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Urology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0302-2838 .- 1873-7560. ; 72:5, s. 789-798
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: The importance of evidence from randomised trials is now widely recognised, although recruitment is often difficult. Qualitative research has shown promise in identifying the key barriers to recruitment, and interventions have been developed to reduce organisational difficulties and support clinicians undertaking recruitment. Objective: This article provides an introduction to qualitative research techniques and explains how this approach can be used to understand- and subsequently improve-recruitment and informed consent within a range of clinical trials. Evidence acquisition: A literature search was performed using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL. All studies with qualitative research methods that focused on the recruitment activity of clinicians were included in the review. Evidence synthesis: The majority of studies reported that organisational difficulties and lack of time for clinical staff were key barriers to recruitment. However, a synthesis of qualitative studies highlighted the intellectual and emotional challenges that arise when combining research with clinical roles, particularly in relation to equipoise and patient eligibility. To support recruiters to become more comfortable with the design and principles of randomised controlled trials, interventions have been developed, including the QuinteT Recruitment Intervention, which comprises in-depth investigation of recruitment obstacles in real time, followed by implementation of tailored strategies to address these challenges as the trial proceeds. Conclusions: Qualitative research can provide important insights into the complexities of recruitment to trials and inform the development of interventions, and provide support and training initiatives as required. Investigators should consider implementing such methods in trials expected to be challenging or recruiting below target. Patient summary: Qualitative research is a term used to describe a range of methods that can be implemented to understand participants' perspectives and behaviours. Data are gathered from interviews, focus groups, or observations. In this review, we demonstrate how this approach can be used to understand- and improve-recruitment to clinical trials. Taken together, our review suggests that healthcare professionals can find recruiting to trials challenging and require support with this process. (C) 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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