The placebo effect in thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis

European Journal of Endocrinology
María Llavero-ValeroJuan Carlos Galofré

Abstract

The natural history of advanced thyroid malignancies is largely unknown. The outcome of patients included in the placebo arm of clinical trials could be reflective of their therapy-free evolution. To analyze the response rate, symptoms and adverse effects of locally advanced or metastatic differentiated (DTC) and medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in patients treated with placebo in clinical trials. PubMed (MEDLINE) and SCOPUS databases were searched through September 2015 to identify high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials. We included studies that recruited patients with DTC or MTC with a placebo arm. We conducted a meta-analysis for each category of response rate, adherence to treatment, and adverse events. An empirical Bayesian random-effect model was used. We identified five clinical trials. DTC and MTC were independently analyzed. In the placebo arm, no complete response was observed; partial response occurred in 1.6% (0.6-3) and 6.4% (3.4-10.3) of DTC and MTC respectively; stable disease was described in 40.5% (34.6-46.9) and 53.9% (44.3-64.4) of DTC and MTC respectively. DTC reached a disease control rate of 42.3% (36.2-48.9) and MTC of 60.2 (50.1-71.4). Treatment discontinuation rate was 3.5% (1.9-5.5) in DTC an...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 27, 2018·Toxicological Sciences : an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology·Matthew F PetersSeyoum Ayehunie

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