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eLetters: Be careful before drawing conclusions
In response to: Breast cancer survival by teaching status of the initial treating hospital
Stan Feinberg
Email: sfeinberg@home.com
Affiliation: St. Joseph's Health Centre
Posted on: January 26, 2001
Chaudhry et al.'s article comes to conclusion that survival is better for women with small tumours at teaching institutions. This study is a retrospective non-randomized study. The groups were not the same. The patients were older in the community hospitals, had larger tumours and had a higher percentage of ER negativity. If you are going to make conclusions that a common disease such as breast cancer , the study should be beyond reproach. The General Surgeons of this province are already sceptical of ICES after the 'bile duct injury' fiasco. This study will not improve this attitude.
Stan Feinberg
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