title: Reducing bias in cancer research: application of propensity score matching.
abstract: In cancer observational studies, differences between groups on confounding variables may have a significant effect on results when examining health outcomes. This study demonstrates the utility of propensity score matching to balance a non-cancer and cancer cohort of older adults on multiple relevant covariates. This approach matches cases to controls on a single indicator, the propensity score, rather than multiple variables. Results indicated that propensity score matching is an efficient and useful way to create a matched case-control study out of a large cohort study, and allows confidence in the strength of the observed outcomes of the study.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-7344, USA. reeveb@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Bryce B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.forename: Ashley Wilder
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Neeraj K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Ron D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hays
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003628:Database Management Systems; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000592:standards*; D006278:Medicare / Q000592:standards*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019370:Observation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018426:SEER Program; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
references.citation: Health Care Financ Rev. 2004 Summer;25(4):1-3
references.pmid: 15493440
references.citation: Med Care. 2003 Oct;41(10):1183-92
references.pmid: 14515114
references.citation: Circulation. 2007 May 1;115(17):2340-3
references.pmid: 17470708
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Aug 15;150(4):327-33
references.pmid: 10453808
references.citation: Stat Med. 2008 May 30;27(12):2037-49
references.pmid: 18038446
references.citation: Med Care. 1992 Jun;30(6):473-83
references.pmid: 1593914
references.citation: Biometrics. 1975 Sep;31(3):643-9
references.pmid: 1100136
references.citation: Health Care Financ Rev. 2008 Summer;29(4):41-56
references.pmid: 18773613
references.citation: Health Care Financ Rev. 2008 Summer;29(4):5-21
references.pmid: 18773611
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1997 Oct 15;127(8 Pt 2):757-63
references.pmid: 9382394
references.citation: Stat Med. 1998 Oct 15;17(19):2265-81
references.pmid: 9802183
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Feb 1;163(3):262-70
references.pmid: 16371515
references.citation: Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2004 Jul 12;2:33
references.pmid: 15248895
references.citation: Biometrics. 1996 Mar;52(1):249-64
references.pmid: 8934595
references.citation: Cancer. 2003 Feb 1;97(3):674-81
references.pmid: 12548610