Stage 4 prostate cancer is in fact terminal, and number of weeks that a person could survive after detection is minimal.On the study that was conducted, at the first glance, it could show that the new medication is effective, thus prolonging lives of stage 4 prostate cancer patients. The mean number of weeks in the study is higher than normal. A 1.2 weeks difference is indeed very vital in people’s lives.
But if we are to look closely at the data given, it ranges from 3 to 45 weeks, and 45 weeks being the highest. Although 45 is the only figure higher that the mean (11.02), it has somewhat elevated the mean, and if we are to disregard 45 weeks, we would get 7.6 as mean, lower than the normal mean. The last data (45) have significantly affected the mean and the standard deviation.If we are to compare the normal standard deviation to that of the study conducted, there is a 7.
82 difference, meaning in the study, more values fall outside the normal range. If we are to plot and compare to a bell graph (standard normal deviation) the two means, one from the study and one from the normal patients, the bell graph is somewhat stretched, showing huge difference and disparity of the two standard deviation.Being in the committee that would grant funds for this study, I suggest that we should extensively examine the results of the pilot study. We should look at the patient that has lived for 45 weeks after the detection of stage 4 cancer. We have to look closely if the project has indeed helped in prolonging his life or other factors have caused it, like age, lifestyle, genetics, other treatment sought, etc. I believe that if we take that patient out of the picture, the study is not effective at all, therefore, not entitled for anymore grants.
