Mario Balsa, Medical Oncology Resident at Catalan Institute of Oncology, shared a post on X:
“How to really read a clinical trial? Not the abstract, the truth is in the details! JCO Oncology Practice
New primer by Bishal Gyawali:
- Abstract is just a teaser
- Who funds/writes the trial matters
- Control arm = EVERYTHING
- OS/QoL > surrogates (often weak)
- “Statistically significant” ≠ clinically meaningful
- Overpowered trials → trivial benefits
- Crossover & post-progression therapy can distort OS
- K-M curves > medians
- Toxicity is often “downplayed”
If you wouldn’t use that control arm in clinic…don’t trust the magnitude of benefit
Read beyond the p-value. That’s where real oncology lives.”
Title: How I Read a Clinical Trial Report? A Primer for Busy Clinicians
Authors: Bishal Gyawali
Read the article: here.
Other articles featuring Mario Balsa on OncoDaily.