Critical appraisal:Barbour S, Mark Smithers B, Allan C, Bayley G, Thomas J, Foote M, et al 2015 2

Risk of bias assessment: cohort study

Subject selection

"New technology" group

Selected group

Comparison group

Selected group

Comparability of groups on demographic characteristics and clinical features

Not comparable but adjusted analysis used

Measurement of outcomes

Outcome measures blind to technology used

No, but objective measures used

Same method of measurement used across comparison groups

Yes

Completeness of follow-up

Was follow-up complete and were all patients included in the analysis?

Yes (follow-up >95%) or survival analysis using all patients

Overall risk of bias

Moderate risk of bias

Additional comments: Please replace this text and include any additional comments in regards to your risk of bias rating

This appraisal has been completed.

Article

Barbour S, Mark Smithers B, Allan C, Bayley G, Thomas J, Foote M, et al. Patterns of Recurrence in Patients with Stage IIIB/C Cutaneous Melanoma of the Head and Neck Following Surgery With and Without Adjuvant Radiation Therapy: Is Isolated Regional Recurrence Salvageable? Ann Surg Oncol 2015 Jan 13 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25582744.

Assigned to

User:Jackie.buck

Topic area

Guidelines:Melanoma

Clinical question

• What is the appropriate treatment for macroscopic (i.e. detectable clinically or by ultrasound) nodal metastasis?

Form

Form:Quality appraisal cohort

Section below only relevant for Cancer Council Project Officer

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