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Figure 2 | BMC Medical Research Methodology

Figure 2

From: The transitive fallacy for randomized trials: If A bests B and B bests C in separate trials, is A better than C?

Figure 2

Treatment for gastric cancer. Hypothetical results are shown for A = radical gastrectomy / splenectomy, B = "simple" gastrectomy, and C = radiation. In the sequential study, results for B and C differ in the first trial (when 30% of the subjects receive effective supportive care), and results for A and B are similar in the second trial (when 70% of the subjects receive effective supportive care). However, as shown with three-arm trial, it is incorrect to make the transitive inference that, when 70% of the subjects receive effective supportive care, the results for A and C would differ.

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BMC Medical Research Methodology

ISSN: 1471-2288

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