Grant Details
Grant Number: |
3R01CA078607-03S1 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Zelen, Marvin |
Organization: |
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute |
Project Title: |
Statistical Issues in the Early Detection of Disease |
Fiscal Year: |
2000 |
Abstract
DESCRIPTION: The major goals of this project are to investigate and develop
statistical models and procedures related to the early detection chronic
diseases. The research is motivated from current problems in the early
detection of cancer --- especially breast cancer. The research is divided
into three major areas: (i) planning clinical trials to evaluate the
benefits of early detection of disease; (ii) estimation of parameters
(sensitivities, pre-clinical sojourn time distributions) during the course
of a trial as well as after the last scheduled examination; and (iii)
develop and extend quantitative methods to aid public health planners in the
planning of early detection programs to benefit larger populations.
The major issues in planning large public health programs for the early
detection of disease are: at which ages should individuals begin to
participate, the time between examinations and the number of examinations.
Methods will be developed for evaluating any proposed public health program.
The economic and health implications of applying these models are
potentially large.
The major issues in planning early detection clinical trials are to take
advantage of the special features of these trials; e.g., number of exams,
spacing between exams, the changing incidence of disease with age, and the
history of each subject with regard to earlier exams. Experimental design
problems arise as in some disease area control groups (no exams) may not be
feasible.
The major issues in parameter estimation relate to having more than one
detection modality, possibly resulting in different pre-clinical sojourn
time distributions, ascertaining if sensitivity and sojourn time
distributions are age dependent, compliance, and investigating if different
detection modalities are independent.
Publications
None. See parent grant details.