Abstract
Meta-analysis is a widely used tool to synthesize the results of a set of primary studies leading to more powerful conclusions than those provided by isolated ones. To evaluate the effect of allocated radiotherapy, types of breast surgery and other risk factors over death risk in early breast cancer patients, we carried out a meta-analysis using logistic regression attending to the dichotomous character of the outcome. Our findings suggest that the type of breast surgery is an effect modifier of the risk factors over death in early breast cancer patients. The effect of allocated radiotherapy is associated with a less risk of death only for patients who had mastectomy plus axillary sampling. The effect of a systemic treatment is not associated with death risk for patients who had breast conservation, on the contrary it is associated for those patients with mastectomy alone and with mastectomy with axillary clearance.
Highlights
Meta-analysis has become an essential tool for biomedical researchers in synthesizing the results of a set of studies about the same topic
Our aim is to combine systematically the results of a set of previous studies in order to arrive at conclusions about the effect of allocated radiotherapy and the type of breast surgery, among others, over the risk of death in early breast cancer patients
Breast surgeries act as an effect modifier of the risk factor ( p 1⁄4 0.001), we interpret some of the results shown in table 5 and referred to this interaction term
Summary
Meta-analysis has become an essential tool for biomedical researchers in synthesizing the results of a set of studies about the same topic. The analysts need to investigate the sources of variation of results across studies, a careful investigation of characteristics of study participants or design quality factors may provide clinically important results by indicating who might benefit more or less from a treatment or intervention. There are several methods to investigate the presence of heterogeneity and the potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. To delimit the sources of heterogeneity we have to identify some study-level characteristics that are associated with the variation in the observed results. The interest focuses on finding sources of heterogeneity in dichotomous data by using logistic regression and study-level data
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