Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33761907›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2021

Does access to care play a role in liver cancer survival? The ten-year (2006-2015) experience from a population-based cancer registry in Southern Italy.

Walter Mazzucco, Francesco Vitale, Sergio Mazzola, Rosalba Amodio, Maurizio Zarcone, Davide Alba, Claudia Marotta, Rosanna Cusimano, Claudia Allemani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

9 authors.

Walter MazzuccoDepartment for Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. walter.mazzucco@unipa.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5090-1366
Francesco VitaleDepartment for Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Sergio MazzolaClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, Palermo University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Rosalba AmodioClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, Palermo University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Maurizio ZarconeClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, Palermo University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Davide AlbaDepartment for Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Claudia MarottaDepartment for Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Rosanna CusimanoPalermo Health Agency, Palermo, Italy.
Claudia AllemaniCancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary invasive cancer of the liver. During the last decade, the epidemiology of HCC has been continuously changing in developed countries, due to more effective primary prevention and to successful treatment of virus-related liver diseases. The study aims to examine survival by level of access to care in patients with HCC, for all patients combined and by age.

methodsWe included 2018 adult patients (15-99 years) diagnosed with a primary liver tumour, registered in the Palermo Province Cancer Registry during 2006-2015, and followed-up to 30 October 2019. We obtained a proxy measure of access to care by linking each record to the Hospital Discharge Records and the Ambulatory Discharge Records. We estimated net survival up to 5 years after diagnosis by access to care ("easy access to care" versus "poor access to care"), using the Pohar-Perme estimator. Estimates were age-standardised using International Cancer Survival Standard (ICSS) weights. We also examined survival by access to care and age (15-64, 65-74 and ≥ 75 years).

resultsAmong the 2018 patients, 62.4% were morphologically verified and 37.6% clinically diagnosed. Morphologically verified tumours were more frequent in patients aged 65-74 years (41.6%), while tumours diagnosed clinically were more frequent in patients aged 75 years or over (50.2%). During 2006-2015, age-standardised net survival was higher among HCC patients with "easy access to care" than in those with "poor access to care" (68% vs. 48% at 1 year, 29% vs. 11% at 5 years; p < 0.0001). Net survival up to 5 years was higher for patients with "easy access to care" in each age group (p < 0.0001). Moreover, survival increased slightly for patients with easier access to care, while it remained relatively stable for patients with poor access to care.

conclusionsDuring 2006-2015, 5-year survival was higher for HCC patients with easier access to care, probably reflecting progressive improvement in the effectiveness of health care services offered to these patients. Our linkage algorithm could provide valuable evidence to support healthcare decision-making in the context of the evolving epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge DistributionCarcinoma, HepatocellularDecision Making, OrganizationalDecision Support TechniquesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth Services AccessibilityHealth Services Needs and DemandHumansItalyLiver NeoplasmsMaleaccess to carecancer registriesliver cancerpublic healthsurvival

Identifiers

PMID33761907
PMCPMC7988914

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.