Risk-difference curves can be used to communicate time-dependent effects of adjuvant therapies for early stage cancer

Abstract

Objectives To describe the use of risk-difference curves for communicating time-dependent absolute treatment effects. Study Design and Setting Three examples based on individual patient data meta-analyses for adjuvant treatments for early-stage breast cancer are presented. Unit record datasets were re-created from the published Kaplan-Meier curves and numbers at risk or person-years at risk. Risk-difference curves, with corresponding 95% confidence bands, are presented and discussed. Results Risk-difference curves are useful for communicating the results from trials of adjuvant treatments for early-stage cancer when standard measures of the absolute treatment effect for survival data (ie, di..