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Exercise and Cancer: Does physical activity improve colon cancer survival?

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Manage episode 505146193 series 3646567
Content provided by Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Exercise has long been hailed as cancer-fighting magic, but is there hard evidence behind the hype? In this episode, we tackle the CHALLENGE trial, a large phase III study of colon cancer patients that tested whether prescribed exercise could improve cancer-free survival. We translate clinical jargon into plain English, show why ratio statistics make splashy headlines while absolute differences tell the real story, and take a detour into why statisticians think survival analysis is downright sexy. And we even bring in a classic reality show to make sense of the numbers.

Statistical topics

  • Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)
  • Hazard ratios
  • Intention-to-treat analysis
  • Interim analyses
  • Kaplan-Meier curves
  • Phase III trials
  • Randomized clinical trial
  • Rates and rate ratios
  • Relative vs absolute differences
  • Stratified randomization with minimization
  • Survival analysis
  • Time-to-event variables

Methodological morals

  • “Ratio statistics sell headlines. Absolute differences sell truth.”
  • “Survival analysis is this sexy stats tool that makes every moment and every Cox count.”

References


Thanks

Thanks to Caitlin Goodrich for the episode topic tip!

Kristin and Regina’s online courses:

Demystifying Data: A Modern Approach to Statistical Understanding

Clinical Trials: Design, Strategy, and Analysis

Medical Statistics Certificate Program

Writing in the Sciences

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program

Programs that we teach in:

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program

Find us on:

Kristin - LinkedIn & Twitter/X

Regina - LinkedIn & ReginaNuzzo.com

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (05:42) - Two different types of cancer studies
  • (08:12) - Why might exercise affect cancer?
  • (10:05) - Phase III trials are different
  • (12:40) - Who was in the CHALLENGE trial?
  • (13:31) - Stratified randomization with minimization
  • (15:05) - The exercise prescription
  • (18:23) - What did the CHALLENGE trial measure?
  • (19:10) - Disease-free survival
  • (21:05) - Data and Safety Monitoring Board – what do they do?
  • (23:41) - Participants and adherence to exercise
  • (26:00) - Intention-to-treat analysis
  • (29:04) - Survival analysis overview
  • (30:57) - Kaplan-Meier curves
  • (33:33) - Reality-show analogy
  • (36:00) - Ratio statistics are confusing
  • (38:36) - Hazard ratios
  • (46:09) - Wrap-up, rating, and methodological morals

  continue reading

17 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 505146193 series 3646567
Content provided by Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Exercise has long been hailed as cancer-fighting magic, but is there hard evidence behind the hype? In this episode, we tackle the CHALLENGE trial, a large phase III study of colon cancer patients that tested whether prescribed exercise could improve cancer-free survival. We translate clinical jargon into plain English, show why ratio statistics make splashy headlines while absolute differences tell the real story, and take a detour into why statisticians think survival analysis is downright sexy. And we even bring in a classic reality show to make sense of the numbers.

Statistical topics

  • Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)
  • Hazard ratios
  • Intention-to-treat analysis
  • Interim analyses
  • Kaplan-Meier curves
  • Phase III trials
  • Randomized clinical trial
  • Rates and rate ratios
  • Relative vs absolute differences
  • Stratified randomization with minimization
  • Survival analysis
  • Time-to-event variables

Methodological morals

  • “Ratio statistics sell headlines. Absolute differences sell truth.”
  • “Survival analysis is this sexy stats tool that makes every moment and every Cox count.”

References


Thanks

Thanks to Caitlin Goodrich for the episode topic tip!

Kristin and Regina’s online courses:

Demystifying Data: A Modern Approach to Statistical Understanding

Clinical Trials: Design, Strategy, and Analysis

Medical Statistics Certificate Program

Writing in the Sciences

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program

Programs that we teach in:

Epidemiology and Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program

Find us on:

Kristin - LinkedIn & Twitter/X

Regina - LinkedIn & ReginaNuzzo.com

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (05:42) - Two different types of cancer studies
  • (08:12) - Why might exercise affect cancer?
  • (10:05) - Phase III trials are different
  • (12:40) - Who was in the CHALLENGE trial?
  • (13:31) - Stratified randomization with minimization
  • (15:05) - The exercise prescription
  • (18:23) - What did the CHALLENGE trial measure?
  • (19:10) - Disease-free survival
  • (21:05) - Data and Safety Monitoring Board – what do they do?
  • (23:41) - Participants and adherence to exercise
  • (26:00) - Intention-to-treat analysis
  • (29:04) - Survival analysis overview
  • (30:57) - Kaplan-Meier curves
  • (33:33) - Reality-show analogy
  • (36:00) - Ratio statistics are confusing
  • (38:36) - Hazard ratios
  • (46:09) - Wrap-up, rating, and methodological morals

  continue reading

17 episodes

All episodes

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