Treatment of breast cancer is a controversial issue with treatment varying from radical mastectomy to radiation and chemotherapy combined with simple lumpectomy. One long-term study involved noting survival times of all breast cancer patients from over 100 hospitals and comparing the percentage of women still alive 5 years after radical mastectomies with the percentage of women still alive 5 years after radiation and chemotherapy combined with simple lumpectomy. The results seems to show a better outcome for women who received lumpectomy treatment. Which of the following statements are appropriate?

Treatment of breast cancer is a controversial issue with treatment varying from radical mastectomy to radiation and chemotherapy combined with simple lumpectomy. One long-term study involved noting survival times of all breast cancer patients from over 100 hospitals and comparing the percentage of women still alive 5 years after radical mastectomies with the percentage of women still alive 5 years after radiation and chemotherapy combined with simple lumpectomy. The results seems to show a better outcome for women who received lumpectomy treatment. Which of the following statements are appropriate?


I. This appears to be a well-conducted controlled experiment.

II. This observational study should be faulted for a lack of blinding.

III. A lurking variable involving who received what treatment makes any conclusion suspect.



A) I only

B) II only 

C) III only

D) I and II

E) II and III



Answer: III only


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