Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33109093›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2020

Is it the time to implement the routine use of distress thermometer among Egyptian patients with newly diagnosed cancer?

Nashwa Abd El-Aziz, Salah Khallaf, Waleed Abozaid, Ghada Elgohary, Ola Abd El-Fattah, Mai Alhawari, Safaa Khaled, Azza AbdelHaffez, Ehab Kamel, Sherif Mohamed

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. 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

10 authors.

Nashwa Abd El-AzizDepartment of Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Salah KhallafDepartment of Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Waleed AbozaidDepartment of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansura University, Mansura, Egypt.
Ghada ElgoharyHematology-Oncology Department, King Khaled University hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ola Abd El-FattahDepartment of Adult Hematology/Internal Medicine, Ain Shams University, College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
Mai AlhawariHematology-Oncology Department, King Khaled University hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Safaa KhaledDepartment of Internal Medicine, Clinical Hematology Unit/Unit of Bone Marrow Transplantation, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Azza AbdelHaffezDepartment of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Ehab KamelDepartment of Pyschiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Sherif MohamedDepartment of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. saawm220@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9437-4799

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe distress thermometer (DT) is an effective tool for identifying distress among cancer patients worldwide. However, DT has not been studied in Egyptian patients. We aimed to study the prevalence of distress among Egyptian patients with different types of cancers using DT.

methodsA total of 550 patients with newly diagnosed hematological and solid cancers who were followed up at 3 Oncology Centers in Egypt were enrolled. They completed a sociodemographic and clinical status questionnaire, the DT and the Problem List (PL) scale.

resultsAt a DT cut-off score of ≥4, 46% of patients had significant distress, which was related to the tumor site and stage. The most frequent problems reported were treatment decision (64.4%), worry (47%), and fears (44.5%). In univariate logistic regression analysis, participants who had significant distress described 23 out of 36 problems in the practical, family, emotional, and physical areas. After adjustment to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, multivariable analysis confirmed that insurance, depression, fear, sadness, worry, loss of interest in usual activity, and sleep were independent factors associated with significant distress in cancer patients.

conclusionsAlmost half of Egyptian patients newly diagnosed with cancer reported significant distress. Those who had significant distress described extra problems in the practical, family, emotional, and physical areas. We recommend the routine use of DT for screening Egyptian patients with cancer, as well as the involvement of the psycho-oncology and social services, at the time of their initial diagnosis.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overDiagnostic Tests, RoutineEgyptFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsStress, PsychologicalThermometersYoung AdultCancerDistress thermometerEgyptNewScreening

Identifiers

PMID33109093
PMCPMC7592584

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.