What is the p-value reported for the ileum Fusobacterium difference between small cell lymphoma and inflammatory bowel disease?

• A. P = .059
• B. P = .017
• C. P = .009
• D. P = .10

Answer: (A)

Interpreting p-values when comparing groups is about how likely the observed difference would be if there were really no difference to begin with. A p-value of 0.059 for the ileum Fusobacterium difference between small cell lymphoma and inflammatory bowel disease means that, under the assumption of no true difference, you’d see a difference as extreme as this about 5.9% of the time. Because this is just above the common 0.05 threshold, it does not meet conventional criteria for statistical significance, though it’s close and suggests a possible trend that might become significant with more data or less variability. Remember that the p-value reflects evidence against the null, not the size of the difference—examining the actual difference and its confidence interval is important for assessing biological relevance. If multiple comparisons were made, adjustments could further affect significance, often making such a result even less likely to be significant.