Systematic Review and Meta-analysis in Digestive Cancer Research

This article highlights the role of meta-analysis as a statistical method for quantitatively summarizing existing research and reconciling conflicting findings.It discusses literature search methods for meta-analysis, the selection and interpretation of statistical models, and publication bias.Meta-analysis allows for the statistical consideration of homogeneity and heterogeneity among studies.Determining homogeneity and heterogeneity is crucial for selecting the appropriate meta-analysis model.Systematic reviews and meta-analyses provide a high level of evidence on treatment efficacy, especially when they include multicenter and multinational studies.In the case of well-researched disorders such as digestive cancer, meta-analysis can be useful in generalizing findings from existing papers, draw conclusions, and evaluate related medical technologies.Furthermore, these findings can be used to propose or enhance standards of care.