BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on which patient characteristics are the most suitable to report or to be used as stratification factors in clinical trials for advanced gastric cancer (AGC), to our knowledge. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of published randomized trials for AGC to examine the patient characteristics that were reported. RESULTS: Among the 67 analyzed trials, age, gender, performance status, proportion of patients with measurable disease, and previous gastrectomy were frequently reported (>69%). Histology, number of disease sites, and adjuvant treatment were reported in less than 50% of trials. Although the reporting of second-line chemotherapy has increased in recent trials, it remains at less than 50%. Notably, recent trials have tended to include patients with better performance status and less locally advanced disease, with Asian trials more frequently including patients with more diffuse histology and less locally advanced disease or liver metastasis than non-Asian trials. Stratification was conducted in approximately 60% of the trials, using quite variable stratifying factors. CONCLUSION: Inconsistency exists in the reporting of patient characteristics, the characteristics themselves, and the use of stratification factors in clinical trials for AGC. A consensus set of important patient characteristics and strata may be necessary to conduct and interpret quality randomized studies.
BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on which patient characteristics are the most suitable to report or to be used as stratification factors in clinical trials for advanced gastric cancer (AGC), to our knowledge. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of published randomized trials for AGC to examine the patient characteristics that were reported. RESULTS: Among the 67 analyzed trials, age, gender, performance status, proportion of patients with measurable disease, and previous gastrectomy were frequently reported (>69%). Histology, number of disease sites, and adjuvant treatment were reported in less than 50% of trials. Although the reporting of second-line chemotherapy has increased in recent trials, it remains at less than 50%. Notably, recent trials have tended to include patients with better performance status and less locally advanced disease, with Asian trials more frequently including patients with more diffuse histology and less locally advanced disease or liver metastasis than non-Asian trials. Stratification was conducted in approximately 60% of the trials, using quite variable stratifying factors. CONCLUSION: Inconsistency exists in the reporting of patient characteristics, the characteristics themselves, and the use of stratification factors in clinical trials for AGC. A consensus set of important patient characteristics and strata may be necessary to conduct and interpret quality randomized studies.
Authors: Eric Van Cutsem; Vladimir M Moiseyenko; Sergei Tjulandin; Alejandro Majlis; Manuel Constenla; Corrado Boni; Adriano Rodrigues; Miguel Fodor; Yee Chao; Edouard Voznyi; Marie-Laure Risse; Jaffer A Ajani Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2006-11-01 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Ian Chau; Andy R Norman; David Cunningham; Justin S Waters; Jacqui Oates; Paul J Ross Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2004-06-15 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: David Cunningham; Naureen Starling; Sheela Rao; Timothy Iveson; Marianne Nicolson; Fareeda Coxon; Gary Middleton; Francis Daniel; Jacqueline Oates; Andrew Richard Norman Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2008-01-03 Impact factor: 91.245