Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32356156›Full record

SynthesisEuropean radiology2020

Results of trials assessing transarterial chemoembolization for treating hepatocellular carcinoma are critically underreported.

Jules Grégory, Perrine Créquit, Valérie Vilgrain, Maxime Ronot, Isabelle Boutron

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European radiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

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

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

  1. Time to publication for results of clinical trials.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024
    Pooled it
  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

5 authors.

Jules GrégoryINSERM, UMR1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), METHODS team, Paris, France; Centre d'Epidémiologie Clinique, AP-HP (Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris), Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Paris, France, F-75004, Paris, France. jules.gregory@aphp.fr.
Perrine CréquitINSERM, UMR1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), METHODS team, Paris, France; Centre d'Epidémiologie Clinique, AP-HP (Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris), Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Paris, France, F-75004, Paris, France.
Valérie VilgrainUniversité de Paris, Paris, France.
Maxime RonotUniversité de Paris, Paris, France.
Isabelle BoutronINSERM, UMR1153, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), METHODS team, Paris, France; Centre d'Epidémiologie Clinique, AP-HP (Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris), Hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Paris, France, F-75004, Paris, France.

Funding

Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer DOC20180507331
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWe aimed to evaluate to what extent the results of registered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are publicly available.

methodsWe searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and primary registries for RCTs assessing TACE for treating HCC, registered between January 2008 and August 2018, that had exceeded their completion date by more than 1 year. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for a publication as well as the registry for results. The main outcomes were the availability of results, and the time to the first availability of results (i.e., posted on the registry or published). Secondary outcomes were the proportion of results available at 12 and 36 months after completion.

resultsAmong 67 identified RCTs, including a total target number to 11,599 participants, 26 had publicly available results (39%; i.e., 42% of total target number of participants). Results of 25 RCTs (37%) were published, with only 3 having results posted on the registry and 2 with both published and posted results. The median (Q1-Q3) time from completion to the first public availability of results was 18 months (11-29). The cumulative percentages of RCTs with results available were 10% (95% CI, 3-17%) and 29% (95% CI, 17-39%) at 12 and 36 months, respectively, after completion.

conclusionsDespite the ethical commitments and societal expectations for disclosure of results, the availability of results of RCTs on TACE for treating HCC is very limited. KEY POINTS: • Underreporting of trial results is a major cause of wasted medical research since inaccessible research results fail to help both patients and clinicians. • Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most common treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has called for considerable research efforts. • Yet, almost two-thirds of randomized controlled trials assessing TACE for treating HCC did not yield any public results, either on the registry platform or in scientific journals.

Indexed as

BibliometricsChemoembolization, TherapeuticCarcinoma, HepatocellularHumansLiver NeoplasmsProbabilityRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRegistriesTreatment OutcomeVascular Surgical ProceduresHepatocellular carcinomaPublication biasRandomized controlled trialTherapeutic embolization

Identifiers

PMID32356156

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.