Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32762563›Full record

ReviewJCO global oncology2020

Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trials and Collaborative Research in Africa: Current Landscape and Future Perspectives.

Jaques van Heerden, Mohamed Zaghloul, Anouk Neven, Teresa de Rojas, Jennifer Geel, Catherine Patte, Joyce Balagadde-Kambugu, Peter Hesseling, Francine Tchintseme, Eric Bouffet and 2 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JCO global oncology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
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  4. Article
  5. Article
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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

12 authors.

Jaques van HeerdenDepartment of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.
Mohamed ZaghloulRadiation Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University and Children's Cancer Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
Anouk NevenDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
Teresa de RojasDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
Jennifer GeelFaculty of Health Sciences, Division of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Catherine PatteFranco-African Pediatric Oncology Group and Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France.
Joyce Balagadde-KambuguDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
Peter HesselingDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Childrens' Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Francine TchintsemeBanso Baptist Hospital, Kumbo, Cameroon.
Eric BouffetPediatric Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Laila HessissenPediatric Haematology and Oncology Center, University Mohamed V. Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
SIOP Africa

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAdequate clinical services have yet to be established in the majority of African countries, where childhood cancer survival rates vary from 8.1% to 30.3%. The aim of this review is to describe the landscape of pediatric oncology trials in Africa, identify challenges, and offer future opportunities for research collaborations.

methodsThe study includes data from the International Pediatric Oncology Society (SIOP) global mapping survey, meta-research identifying trials in Africa in ClinicalTrials.gov, and a literature overview of publications on the subject of pediatric oncology clinical research supported by expert opinions on the current situation and challenges.

resultsThe SIOP global mapping survey received responses from 47 of 54 African countries, of which 23 have active clinical research programs. A preliminary search of ClinicalTrials.gov showed that only 105 (12.1%) of 868 African oncology studies included children and adolescents. Of these, 53 (50.5%) were interventional trials according to the registry's classification. The small number of African trials for children and adolescents included palliative care and leukemia trials. In African oncology journals and international pediatric oncology journals, < 1% of the pediatric oncology publications come from Africa. Services and research were strengthened by international collaboration. National studies focused on clinical needs, local challenges, or interventional priorities. Both the literature review and the expert opinions highlight the need to expand clinical research in Africa, despite ongoing regional instability and lack of resources.

conclusionWhile a low number of pediatric clinical treatment trials are open to African children and adolescents, clinical research of high quality is being done in Africa. Several initiatives are stimulating the development of the research capacity across the continent, which should increase the publication output.

Indexed as

Medical OncologyNeoplasmsAdolescentAfricaChildHumansSurvival Rate

Identifiers

PMID32762563
PMCPMC7456323

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.