An appraisal of analytical tools used in predicting clinical outcomes following radiation therapy treatment of men with prostate cancer: a systematic review.

摘要: Prostate cancer can be treated with several different modalities, including radiation treatment. Various prognostic tools have been developed to aid decision making by providing estimates of the probability outcomes. Such demonstrated better accuracy than clinical judgment alone. A systematic review was undertaken identify papers relating prediction outcomes (biochemical failure, metastasis, survival) in patients prostate who received treatment, particular aim identifying whether published are adequately developed, validated, and provide accurate predictions. PubMed EMBASE were searched from July 2007. Title abstract screening, full text review, critical appraisal conducted two reviewers. protocol advance commencing literature searches. The search strategy resulted 165 potential articles, which 72 selected for 47 ultimately included. These described 66 models newly 31 external validations already predictive tools. included studies represented a total 60,457 patients, recruited between 1984 2009. Sixty five percent not externally 57% did report 31% variables readily accessible existing datasets. Most (72, 74%) related beam therapy remainder brachytherapy (alone or combination therapy). large number (97) recent literature, representing rapid increase since previous reviews (17 papers, 1966–2007). validated third utilised data collections. Where validation had occurred, it often limited taken single institutes US. While available predict specific mortality following therapy, there is scarcity such brachytherapy. This provides an catalogue current use should prioritised future validation.