Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32411476›Full record

ArticleJournal of skin cancer2020

An Analysis of Biopsies for Suspected Skin Cancer at a Tertiary Care Dermatology Clinic in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Johann de Wet, Minette Steyn, Henry F Jordaan, Rhodine Smith, Saskya Claasens, Willem I Visser

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of skin cancer, 2020. 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. Skin Cancer in People of Color: A Systematic Review.American journal of clinical dermatology · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  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 2 institutions in 1 country.

Johann de WetDivision of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2022-0660
Minette SteynFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Henry F JordaanDivision of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Rhodine SmithDivision of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Saskya ClaasensDivision of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Willem I VisserDivision of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Stellenbosch University · ZAWestern Cape Department of Health · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSkin cancer is a growing health concern worldwide. It is the most common malignancy in South Africa and places a large burden on the public healthcare sector. There is a paucity of published scientific data on skin cancer in South Africa.

objectivesTo report the findings of biopsies performed in patients with suspected skin cancer attending the Tygerberg Academic Hospital (TAH) Dermatology outpatient department (OPD) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

resultsA total number of 696 biopsies from 390 participants were identified, of which 460 were histologically confirmed as malignant lesions. The proportion of clinically suspected skin cancers that were histologically confirmed as cancer was 68%. The most commonly occurring malignancies were basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (54.8%), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (18.9%), squamous cell carcinoma in-situ (SCCI) (8.0%), Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) (6.7%), malignant melanoma (MM) (6.1%), and keratoacanthoma (KA) (4.6%). The number needed to treat (NTT) for all cancers diagnosed and for MM was 1.5 and 4 respectively. BCC (89.3%) and KS (67.7%) was the most common skin cancer in the white and black population respectively. The ratio of BCC to SCC was 2.03.

conclusionThis study provides valuable scientific data on the accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis, distribution and patient demographics in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, on which further research can be based. The study highlights the burden of skin cancer on this specific population group and calls for standardised reporting methods and increased surveillance of skin cancers.

Identifiers

PMID32411476
PMCPMC7204328
OpenAlexW3001396600

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.