Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33621447›Full record

ArticleCancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.)2021

Examining reporting and representation of patients with cancer in COVID-19 clinical trials.

Maya Rabow, Christine Wang, Sylvia Zhang, Peggy Mary Tahir, Eric J Small, Hala T Borno

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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.

Maya RabowCollege of Science, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4522-0969
Christine WangDivision of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.
Sylvia ZhangDepartment of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6106-038X
Peggy Mary TahirDepartment of Library Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Eric J SmallDepartment of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Hala T BornoDepartment of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Funding

Lazarex Cancer FoundationProstate Cancer Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with cancer are particularly vulnerable in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that patients with a cancer diagnosis are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to non-cancer patients. Due to these observed risks, it is critical that emerging COVID-19 therapies demonstrate safety and efficacy among patients with cancer.

aimThis study sought to examine reporting and representation of patients with cancer among published COVID-19 treatment-related research studies. METHODS AND

resultsAll published COVID-19 treatment-related clinical research studies published from March 1 to August 20, 2020 recruiting from North America and Europe were identified. The date published, study design, therapeutics studied, and study population were evaluated. Of the 343 studies identified through initial search and researcher knowledge, 55 (16%) reported on COVID-19 treatments. Twenty-one COVID-19 therapeutic studies (n = 15, prospective; n = 6, retrospective) that recruited from the United States and Europe were identified. Among these studies, eight (38%) reported on the number of trial participants with a cancer diagnosis in the publication and two (10%) specified tumor type. Four of the studies (19%) did not collect cancer history. Among studies where cancer history was available, patients with a cancer diagnosis participated at a proportion higher than overall cancer prevalence and greater than the known proportion of COVID-19 patients with cancer.

conclusionThis study observed that cancer history was not uniformly collected or reported among published COVID-19 therapeutic studies. Among reported publications, we observed that patients with a cancer diagnosis were generally overrepresented. However, patients with a cancer diagnosis were notably underrepresented in outpatient COVID-19 therapeutic studies.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicCOVID-19EuropeHumansNeoplasmsNorth AmericaProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2cancerclinical research participantsclinical trialsCOVID-19disparities

Identifiers

PMID33621447
PMCPMC7995191

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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.