Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25657930›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2014

A systematic review of radiotherapy capacity in low- and middle-income countries.

Surbhi Grover, Melody J Xu, Alyssa Yeager, Lori Rosman, Reinou S Groen, Smita Chackungal, Danielle Rodin, Margaret Mangaali, Sommer Nurkic, Annemarie Fernandes and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed, 2 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  13. Radiotherapy medical physics in the Philippines: A contemporary overview.Journal of applied clinical medical physics · 2025
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  19. Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer in Africa.Advances in radiation oncology · 2024
    Review
  20. Article

10 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

13 authors.

Surbhi GroverDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Melody J XuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Alyssa YeagerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Lori RosmanJohns Hopkins School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD , USA.
Reinou S GroenDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital , Baltimore, MD , USA.
Smita ChackungalDepartment of Surgery, University of Western Ontario , London, ON , Canada.
Danielle RodinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada.
Margaret MangaaliDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Sommer NurkicJohns Hopkins School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD , USA.
Annemarie FernandesDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Lilie L LinDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA , USA.
Gillian ThomasDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada.
Ana I TergasDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons , New York, NY , USA.

Funding

Training Program in Cancer-Related Population SciencesR25CA094061 · NCI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI NEUGUT, ALFRED I. · 2002 to 2016
$5.9M
NCI NIH HHS R25 CA094061
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe cancer burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is substantial. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe country and region-specific patterns of radiotherapy (RT) facilities in LMIC.

methodsA systematic review of the literature was undertaken. A search strategy was developed to include articles on radiation capacity in LMIC from the following databases: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Global Health, and the Latin American and Caribbean System on Health Sciences Information. Searches included all literature up to April 2013.

resultsA total of 49 articles were included in the review. Studies reviewed were divided into one of four regions: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. The African continent has the least amount of resources for RT. Furthermore, a wide disparity exists, as 60% of all machines on the continent are concentrated in Egypt and South Africa while 29 countries in Africa are still lacking any RT resource. A significant heterogeneity also exists across Southeast Asia despite a threefold increase in megavoltage teletherapy machines from 1976 to 1999, which corresponds with a rise in economic status. In LMIC of the Americas, only Uruguay met the International Atomic Energy Agency recommendations of 4 MV/million population, whereas Bolivia and Venezuela had the most radiation oncologists (>1 per 1000 new cancer cases). The main concern with the review of RT resources in Eastern Europe was the lack of data.

conclusionThere is a dearth of publications on RT therapy infrastructure in LMIC. However, based on limited published data, availability of RT resources reflects the countries' economic status. The challenges to delivering radiation in the discussed regions are multidimensional and include lack of physical resources, lack of human personnel, and lack of data. Furthermore, access to existing RT and affordability of care remains a large problem.

Indexed as

global healthlow- and middle-income countriesradiation capacityradiation oncology accesssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID25657930
PMCPMC4302829

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.