Discussion on "A Hybrid Selection and Testing Procedure with Curtailment for Comparative Clinical Trials" by Elena M. Buzaianu and Pinyuen Chen

Seq Anal. 2009 Jan 1;28(1):41-43. doi: 10.1080/07474940802619170.

Abstract

Buzaianu and Chen apply strong curtailment to modify the two-stage select-and-test clinical trial design proposed by Thall et al. (1988). The modification reduces the expected sample size while maintaining overall power but requires continuous monitoring in stage 1. I will review the history of this type of design and discuss practical issues related to the use of strong curtailment that arise in trial conduct.