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Becky · 10-25-2011, 05:01 AM

Not trying to be picky but the mean is the average value. Let's say that there is a response after these doses:

1
2
4
5
9
10
18

The median is 5 - the true middle number whereas the mean is 7 (the true average). Median works better if the numbers are not that different from each other but there are out liers that will ruin the average (such as small decimals and then the number 100 - that would ruin the average although allows investigators to know that after the 100th dose, a woman responded). But a median is used because in the medical field there can be huge outliers - those that have a huge response with one drop of medicine and those that need 100 doses but most have a response in (lets say in this example) 5 doses.

10-25-2011, 05:01 AM	#4
Becky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockton, NJ Posts: 4,179	Re: Median time to response Not trying to be picky but the mean is the average value. Let's say that there is a response after these doses: 1 2 4 5 9 10 18 The median is 5 - the true middle number whereas the mean is 7 (the true average). Median works better if the numbers are not that different from each other but there are out liers that will ruin the average (such as small decimals and then the number 100 - that would ruin the average although allows investigators to know that after the 100th dose, a woman responded). But a median is used because in the medical field there can be huge outliers - those that have a huge response with one drop of medicine and those that need 100 doses but most have a response in (lets say in this example) 5 doses. __________________ Kind regards Becky Found lump via BSE Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45 1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side) 2 micromets to sentinel node Stage 2A left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg lumpectomies 9/7/04 4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol Used Leukine instead of Neulasta 35 rads on right side only 4/05 started Tamoxifen Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations Oophorectomy 8/05 Started Arimidex 9/05 Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06 Arimidex Only Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia NED 18 years! Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"