title: Clinical trial methodology.
abstract: A number of recent conferences have emphasized the importance of clinical trials methodology. The most significant of these was the one held in France in January, 1978. Much discussion centered around the use of matched historical controls from the same institution in comparison with randomized, prospectively controlled clinical trials. It was concluded that controlled clinical trials are required to answer comparative therapeutic questions in a convincing manner and that statistical advice is critical at all stages of such trials.
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D013223:Statistics as Topic