Shin In-Soo, Rim Chai Hong
Department of Transdisciplinary Security, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Korea.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Ansan Hospital, Korea University Medical College, Ansan-si 15355, Korea.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Jan 28;57(2):117. doi: 10.3390/medicina57020117.
Meta-analyses have been conventionally performed to extract the firmest conclusions from randomized controlled trials while minimizing the risk of bias. However, the field of oncology does not always allow for collecting the best evidence. Radiation oncology is a discipline where intractable or rare diseases are commonly encountered; hence, more practical data suitable for detailed clinical evaluations are needed. This review discusses new viewpoints regarding meta-analyses by pointing out heterogeneities among clinical studies and issues related to analyzing observational studies, thus clarifying the practical utility of meta-analyses in radiation oncology. Limitations of previous systematic reviews or meta-analyses are also assessed to suggest future directions.
传统上，人们通过荟萃分析从随机对照试验中提取最可靠的结论，同时将偏倚风险降至最低。然而，肿瘤学领域并不总是能够收集到最佳证据。放射肿瘤学是一个经常遇到难治性或罕见疾病的学科；因此，需要更适合详细临床评估的实用数据。本综述通过指出临床研究之间的异质性以及与分析观察性研究相关的问题，讨论了关于荟萃分析的新观点，从而阐明了荟萃分析在放射肿瘤学中的实际效用。还评估了以往系统评价或荟萃分析的局限性，以提出未来的方向。
