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A common (?) view is that risk factors alter (usually increase) the probability of developing or aquiring a disease, while prognostic factors alter (usually increase) the probability of having an unfavourabale outcome of this disease: death, higher morbidity, more adverse effects, recurrence... Some risk factors are also prognostic factors. Examples: Presence of BRCA1/2 is a risk factor because it increases the probability of developing breast cancer. Higher number of affected lymph nodes is a prognostic factor because it increases the probability of having an unfavourable outcome (death). Age might be both a risk and a prognostic factor. HTH, Christian On Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:55:56 -0400 "Feddern-Bekcan, Tanya" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hello, everyone. Could you please give me some examples of risk factors > and prognostic factors and how to differentiate between the two? For > example, having the breast cancer gene, having a family history of > breast cancer, being a heavy smoker, etc. This is for PICO-writing. > > > > Thank you, > > > Tanya > > Tanya Feddern-Bekcan, MLIS, AHIP, MOT, OTR/L > http://www.geocities.com/nqiya/libraryarticles.html > <http://www.geocities.com/nqiya/libraryarticles.html> formerly Tanya > Feddern > 305.243.6648 - [log in to unmask] - 305.325.9670 (fax) EBM Theme > Co-Director & Reference and Education Librarian Louis Calder Memorial > Library - University of Miami Miller School of Medicine > > "A library without a librarian is a reading room."-- Jenny Garcia of the > University of Wyoming, MLS, AHIP > >