Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32671982›Full record

SynthesisCancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.)2020

The relationship between fears of cancer recurrence and patient age: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Edward Lim, Gerald Humphris

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 8 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

28 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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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

2 authors.

Edward LimMedical School, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
Gerald HumphrisMedical School, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4601-8834

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFears of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most prevalent concerns and a common unmet need reported by cancer patients. Patient age is a demographic variable that has been linked to FCR, among others. Although it is recognised by researchers that age and FCR may be negatively correlated, the strength of this correlation has yet to be established.

aimThe aims of this study were to (a) conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the overall association of patient age in years with FCR across studies from 2009 to February 2019 and (b) scrutinise for patterns of these effect sizes across studies. METHODS AND

resultsPeer-reviewed papers were gathered from the literature via online databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO). Systematic review guidelines including a quality assessment were applied to the 31 selected studies (pooled participant N size = 19 777). The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant negative association between age and FCR (ES = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.17, -0.07). Meta-regression revealed the association of patient age and FCR significantly reduced over the last decade. A significant effect (β = -0.17, P = 0.005) of breast cancer versus other cancers on this age by FCR association was also identified.

conclusionThe reliable and readily accessible personal information of age of patient can be utilised as a weak indicator of FCR level especially in the breast cancer field, where the majority of studies were drawn. The suggestion that age and FCR association may be attenuated in recent years requires confirmation.

Indexed as

Age FactorsCancer SurvivorsDatabases, FactualFearHumansNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNeoplasmsPhobic Disorderscancer recurrencefearillness representationmeta-analysispatient ageworry

Identifiers

PMID32671982
PMCPMC7941464

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.