Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28364173›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2017

A systematic review of methodologies, endpoints, and outcome measures in randomized trials of radiation therapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Kristopher Dennis, Rehana Jamani, Clare McGrath, Leila Makhani, Henry Lam, Patrick Bauer, Carlo De Angelis, Natalie Coburn, C Shun Wong, Edward Chow

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. 2023 Updated MASCC/ESMO Consensus Recommendations: prevention of radiotherapy- and chemoradiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Exploring the nausea experience among female patients with breast cancer; A pilot interview study.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2020
    Article
  3. Nausea and Vomiting in Advanced Cancer.Current treatment options in oncology · 2020
    Review
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.

Kristopher DennisDivision of Radiation Oncology, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6, Canada. krdennis@toh.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-5588-1007
Rehana JamaniQueen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Clare McGrathDivision of Radiation Oncology, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6, Canada.
Leila MakhaniDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Global Health and Vulnerable Populations, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Henry LamSunnybrook R. Ian Macdonald Library, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Patrick BauerJagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Carlo De AngelisDepartment of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Natalie CoburnDivision of General Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
C Shun WongDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Edward ChowDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

CIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeClinical trials in radiation therapy-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) appear to have varied methodologies, endpoints, and outcome measures. This complicates trial comparisons, weakens practice guideline recommendations, and contributes to variability in supportive care patterns of practice. We systematically reviewed RINV trials to describe and compare their pertinent design features. MATERIALS AND

methodsOvid versions of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, and MEDLINE to January/February 2017 were searched for adult phase III trials of RINV management strategies. Key abstracted data included trial interventions and eligibility criteria, standard radiation therapy (RT) metrics, symptom assessment procedures, symptom definitions and grading systems, pre-specified and reported endpoints, and other outcome measures.

resultsFrom 1166 references identified in the initial database search, we selected 34 trials for analysis that collectively randomized 4529 patients (median 61, range 11-1492). Twenty-eight trials (82%) were published prior to the year 2000. Twenty-seven trials (79%) involved multiple fraction RT and 7 (21%) single fraction RT. Twenty-four trials (71%) evaluated prophylactic interventions, 9 (26%) rescue interventions, and 1 trial did not specify. Thirty-three trials (97%) evaluated pharmacologic interventions. Twenty trials (59%) had patient report symptoms, 5 (15%) healthcare professionals or researchers, and 10 (29%) did not specify. Nausea was not defined in any trial but was reported as a stand-alone symptom in 26 trials (76%) and was graded in 20 (59%), with categorical qualitative scales being the most common method. Vomiting was defined in 3 trials (9%), was reported as a stand-alone symptom in 17 (47%), and was graded in 7 (21%), with continuous numerical scales being the most common method. Retching was defined in 3 trials, was not reported as a stand-alone symptom in any trial, and was graded in 1 (3%). Twenty-one trials (62%) created compound symptom measures that combined individual symptoms. Fifteen trials (44%) reported "emetic episode/event" measures but only 9 defined them. Seventeen trials (50%) reported complicated endpoints (e.g., "response," "control," "success") that combined multiple symptom or compound symptom measures, but 7 did not define them comprehensively. Ten trials (29%) defined a primary endpoint a priori.

conclusionsMethodologies, endpoints, and outcome measures varied considerably among 34 randomized trials in RINV.

Indexed as

AdultAntiemeticsHumansNauseaOutcome Assessment, Health CareRadiotherapyRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicVomitingAntiemeticsAntiemeticClinical trialEmesisEndpointMethodologyNauseaOutcomeRadiation therapyRadiotherapyRetchingSystematic reviewVomiting

Identifiers

PMID28364173

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.