Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25740023›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2015

A population-based observational study on the factors associated with the completion of palliative chemotherapy among patients with oesophagogastric cancer.

Oliver Groene, Tom Crosby, Richard Henry Hardwick, Stuart Riley, Kimberley Greenaway, David Cromwell

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
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

6 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Oliver GroeneDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK Clinical Effectiveness Unit, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
Tom CrosbyVelindre Cancer Center, Cardiff, UK.
Richard Henry HardwickAddenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Stuart RileyNorthern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
Kimberley GreenawayHealth and Social Care Information Centre, Leeds, UK.
David CromwellDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK Clinical Effectiveness Unit, The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBAddenbrooke's Hospital · GBNHS Digital · GBNorthern General Hospital · GBVelindre Cancer Centre · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPalliative chemotherapy is routinely given to patients diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic oesophagogastric (O-G) cancer. We examine which patients with O-G cancer in England receive palliative chemotherapy, and identify factors associated with treatment completion.

designA prospective population-based observational study.

settingAll English National Health Service (NHS) trusts diagnosing patients with O-G cancer.

participantsData were prospectively collected on patients diagnosed with invasive epithelial cancer of the oesophagus or stomach between 1 October 2007 and 30 June 2009 in English NHS hospitals, and those who had palliative treatment intent. OUTCOME MEASURE: We calculated the proportion of patients with different characteristics (eg, age, sex, stage at diagnosis, performance status) starting palliative chemotherapy. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify characteristics associated with non-completion of chemotherapy.

resultsThere were 9768 patients in the study whose treatment intent was palliative. Among these, 2313 (24%) received palliative chemotherapy. It was received by 51% of patients aged under 55 years but only 9% of patients aged 75 years or over. Overall, 917 patients (53%) completed their treatment among the 1741 patients for whom information on treatment completion was recorded. Treatment completion ranged from 50-60% for patients with good performance status but was under 35% for patients aged 55 years or older with poor performance status. Treatment completion was not associated with site of cancer, pretreatment stage, sex, comorbidities or histology.

conclusionsCompletion rates of palliative chemotherapy in patients with O-G cancer are low and elderly patients with poor performance status are very unlikely to complete a palliative chemotherapy treatment. Clinicians and patients should consider this information when balancing potential (survival) benefits, toxicity of treatment and its effect on quality of life.

Indexed as

Palliative CarePatient DropoutsAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsEnglandEsophageal NeoplasmsFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMiddle AgedProspective StudiesState MedicineStomach NeoplasmsCHEMOTHERAPYEPIDEMIOLOGY

Identifiers

PMID25740023
PMCPMC4360809
OpenAlexW2101847701

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.