Understanding survival and meta-analysis data
When performing meta-analysis, it is always important to start with the research question. For survival data, most research questions are associated with time as a central aspect. Here are three typical time-dependent research questions:
- What is the increase or decrease in a disease or event probability for subjects in a specific population or groups at given time points (for example, expressed as hazard ratio)?
- What is the median survival time for a specific population or groups in a given period (for example, 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years)?
- What is the rate at which a certain event associated with a disease occurs (for example, cancer-related mortality, the progression of a disease, or other complications) in a population or in specific treatment groups?
As you can see, some statistical metrics are mentioned in those research questions.
Survival metrics are key when it comes to relating research questions to...
