Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Reducing bias in cancer research: application of propensity score matching
Bryce B Reeve1, Ashley Wilder Smith, Neeraj K Arora
1National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-7344, USA. reeveb@mail.nih.gov
Abstract:
In cancer observational studies, differences between groups on confounding variables may have a significant effect on results when examining health outcomes. This study demonstrates the utility of propensity score matching to balance a non-cancer and cancer cohort of older adults on multiple relevant covariates. This approach matches cases to controls on a single indicator, the propensity score, rather than multiple variables. Results indicated that propensity score matching is an efficient and useful way to create a matched case-control study out of a large cohort study, and allows confidence in the strength of the observed outcomes of the study.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
Bias in Epidemiological Studies
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups
Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...
Kaplan-Meier Approach
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...