Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24510195›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2014

The diagnostic role of a short screening tool--the distress thermometer: a meta-analysis.

Xuelei Ma, Jing Zhang, Wuning Zhong, Chi Shu, Fengtian Wang, Jianing Wen, Min Zhou, Yaxiong Sang, Yu Jiang, Lei Liu

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 92 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
92citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02063828 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2015, after this paper: background citation

Reducing Lung Cancer-Related Anxiety (RELAX)

TypeinterventionalSponsorWake Forest University Health SciencesRan2015 to 2019Enrolled46ConditionsLung CancerArmsGroup A - Device guided breathing low dose, Group B - Device guided breathing high dose, Group C - Usual Breathing Control Group
NCT06443268 recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Cerebrovascular Disease: Quality of Life (CODE: QoL)

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of ZurichRan2023 to 2028Enrolled680ConditionsQuality of Life, Stroke, Acute, Sexual Behavior, StressArmsquestionnaire, hair samples, blood samples, clinical exam
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

92 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Distress Management, Version 3.2019, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN · 2019
    Guideline
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Spirituality and religiosity in cancer care: A targeted review of the NCCN distress thermometer and implications for holistic screening.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Psychological distress, body image, and nutritional status during hospitalization for gynecological cancer surgery: a prospective observational study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Observational
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xuelei MaCancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
Jing Zhang
Wuning Zhong
Chi Shu
Fengtian Wang
Jianing Wen
Min Zhou
Yaxiong Sang
Yu Jiang
Lei Liu

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe Distress Thermometer (the DT) is a commonly used screening tool to detect distress in cancer patients. This meta-analysis aims to examine the diagnostic role and the optimal cut-off score of the DT compared with various different reference standards.

methodsWe searched PubMed and Embase from 1997 to September 2013 for relevant studies. After extracting data, we estimated the pooled sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratios, and constructed summary receiver operating characteristics curves to determine the optimal cut-off score.

resultsForty-two relevant studies and 14,808 patients were included in total. When we pooled all the results together, the DT showed a good balance between pooled sensitivity (0.81, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.79-0.82) and pooled specificity (0.72, 95% CI 0.71-0.72) at the cut-off score of 4. The value of area under the curve (AUC) is 0.8321. When the DT is compared with the HADS-Total, the cut-off score of 4 maximized the balance between the pooled sensitivity (0.82, 95% CI 0.80-0.84) and pooled specificity (0.73, 95% CI 0.72-0.74). The AUC is 0.8432.

conclusionsThis meta-analysis suggests that the DT is a valid tool to detect potential distress in cancer patients. According to our results, 4 as the optimal cut-off, is recommended. Further studies are needed to be done to examine the accuracy and optimal cut-off score in different regions globally and different cancer subtypes to guide the use of the DT for different patients.

Indexed as

FemaleHumansLikelihood FunctionsMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedNeoplasmsOdds RatioPsychometricsROC CurveSensitivity and SpecificityStress, Psychological

Identifiers

PMID24510195

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.