Methods and Biostatistics in Oncology: Understanding Clinical Research as an Applied Tool

This book introduces and discusses the most important aspects of clinical research methods and biostatistics for oncologists, pursuing a tailor-made and practical approach.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been in vogue in the last few decades, particularly in rapidly advancing fields such as oncology. This approach has been used to support decision-making processes worldwide, sparking new clinical research and guidelines on clinical and surgical oncology. Clinical oncology research has many peculiarities, including specific study endpoints, a special focus on survival analyses, and a unique perspective on EBM. However, during medical studies and in general practice, these topics are barely taught. Moreover, even when EBM and clinical cancer research are discussed, they are presented in a theoretical fashion, mostly focused on formulas and numbers, rather than on clinical application for a proper literature appraisal.

Addressing that gap, this book discusses more practical aspects of clinical research and biostatistics in oncology, instead of relying only on mathematical formulas and theoretical considerations. Methods and Biostatistics in Oncology will help readers develop the skills they need to understand the use of research on everyday oncology clinical practice for study design and interpretation, as well to demystify the use of EBM in oncology.

Raphael L. C. Araujo is a Surgical Oncologist specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant and benign injuries of the liver, pancreas and colorectal liver metastases. He spent two years (2010 / 2012) as a Research Fellow at the Hepatopancreatobiliary Service of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (USA). During this time, he worked on clinical research of surgical and systemic treatment of pancreatic cancer and colorectal liver metastases. Afterwards, he also spent one year as a resident of the Hepatopancreatobiliary Service at the Hospital Paul Brousse, France (2012/2013). Dr. Araujo received a PhD and concluded his postdoctoral research in Gastroenterology from the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, the same institution where he worked for 2 years as an attending physician in the Liver Surgery Unit. He is currently head of the Department of Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery and Professor of thePost Graduation Program of Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil, and Scientific Director of Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology.

Rachel P. Riechelmann is a medical oncologist and researcher in the field of gastrointestinal cancers. She completed her formal training and PhD at the Federal University of Sao Paulo, followed by a clinical research fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. She is currently the Director of the Department of Oncology at AC Camargo Cancer Center,  which is one of the largest academic cancer centers in Brazil and Latin America, and Research Director of the Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumors Group. Research- wise, her areas of interest and expertise are GI malignancies and Neuroendocrine Tumors as well as Methodology of Clinical Research. She has 78 publications in peer-reviewed journals and several PhD students and oncology fellowsconducting projects under her supervision.