Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32114598›Full record

SynthesisSaudi medical journal2020

Oncology research in Saudi Arabia over a 10-year period. A synopsis.

Majed A Alghamdi, Rajab A Alzahrani, Hashem H Alhashemi, Arwa A Obaid, Ali G Alghamdi, Mohammed A Aldokhi, Amal M Alghamdi, Abdulaziz A Alghamdi, Ahmed S Qanat, Wasil A Jastaniah and 1 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Saudi medical journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. 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

11 authors.

Majed A AlghamdiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. malghamdi1984@gmail.com.
Rajab A Alzahrani
Hashem H Alhashemi
Arwa A Obaid
Ali G Alghamdi
Mohammed A Aldokhi
Amal M Alghamdi
Abdulaziz A Alghamdi
Ahmed S Qanat
Wasil A Jastaniah
Suliman M Alghamdi

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess the quality and quantity of Saudi publications in oncology over a 10-year period.

methodsA systematic PubMed search was conducted between January 2008 and December 2017 to retrieve all Saudi oncology publications. Data about the articles was collected. The level of evidence (LOE) was independently assessed by 2 authors. Two 5-year periods (2008-2012 and 2013-2017) were compared using the relevant parameters. Clinicaltrials.gov was also searched for all oncology trials registered in Saudi Arabia.

resultsA total of 839 publications met our inclusion criteria. The most common type of research was case series, totaling 32% of all publications. Clinical trials formed less than 2% of the total. The LOE was I, II, III, and IV in 0.3%, 2.1%, 58.4%, and 39.3% of the included publications, respectively. The LOE was the same in the 2 periods. There were more publications in international journals (p=0.004), more international collaborations (p=0.001), and higher journal impact factors (p=0.037) in 2013-2017 than in 2008-2012. Only 76 registered clinical trials were found in the Clinicaltrials.gov registry.

conclusionDespite an increase in the number of Saudi publications in the field of oncology over time, the LOE did not change. There were, however, some improvements in the international collaboration and journal impact factor, as well as an increase in the number of studies published in international journals. These observations call for a national strategy to improve oncology research in Saudi Arabia.

Indexed as

Quality ImprovementBiomedical ResearchClinical Trials as TopicHumansInternational CooperationMedical OncologyPeriodicals as TopicPublicationsResearchSaudi ArabiaTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID32114598
PMCPMC7841566

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.