Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35740574›Full record

ArticleCancers2022

Cancer-of-Unknown-Primary-Origin: A SEER-Medicare Study of Patterns of Care and Outcomes among Elderly Patients in Clinical Practice.

Linda Mileshkin, Tilmann Bochtler, Gemma Gatta, Razelle Kurzrock, Andreas Beringer, Mathis Müller-Ohldach, Andy Surinach, Camille Perret, Marlene Thomas, Adam Gondos and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Mortality Risks of U.S. Healthcare Workers.American journal of preventive medicine · 2025
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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

11 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Linda MileshkinDepartment of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
Tilmann BochtlerClinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Gemma GattaEvaluative Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Foundation, National Cancer Institute, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Razelle KurzrockCenter for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Andreas BeringerGlobal Product Development Medical Affairs, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Building 1, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland.
Mathis Müller-OhldachPDMA Medical Alliances Operations, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Building 663, U1.312 Hochstrasse 16, CH-4053 Basel, Switzerland.
Andy SurinachEvidence Strategy, Genesis Research, 111 River Street, Suite 1120, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.
Camille PerretOncology, Personalised Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Building 1, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland.
Marlene ThomasGlobal Medical Affairs/PDMA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Building 1, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland.
Adam GondosPharmaceutical Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Building 1, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland.
Alwin KrämerClinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Roche (Switzerland) · CHGenesis Health System · USGerman Cancer Research Center · DEUniversity Hospital Heidelberg · DEUniversity of California, San Diego · USUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

NCCDPHP CDC HHS U58 DP003862NCI NIH HHS HHSN261201000034CNCI NIH HHS HHSN261201000035CNCI NIH HHS HHSN261201000035INCI NIH HHS HHSN261201000140CRoche (Switzerland) N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Knowledge of contemporary patterns of cancer-of-unknown-primary-origin (CUP) diagnostic work-up, treatment, and outcomes in routine healthcare is limited. Thus, we examined data from elderly patients diagnosed with CUP in real-world US clinical practice. From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare-linked database, we included patients ≥ 66 years old with CUP diagnosed between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015. We analyzed baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, methods of diagnostic work-up (biopsy, immunohistochemistry, imaging), treatment-related factors, and survival. CUP diagnosis was histologically confirmed in 2813/4562 patients (61.7%). Overall, 621/4562 (13.6%) patients received anticancer pharmacotherapy; among these, 97.3% had a histologically confirmed tumor and 83.1% received all three procedures. Among those with a histologically confirmed tumor, increasing age, increasing comorbidity score, not receiving all three diagnostic measures, and having a not-further specified histologic finding of only 'malignant neoplasm' were all negatively associated with receipt of anticancer pharmacotherapy. Median overall survival was 1.2 months for all patients. Median time between CUP diagnosis and treatment initiation was 41 days. Limited diagnostic work-up was common and most patients did not receive anticancer pharmacotherapy. The poor outcomes highlight a substantial unmet need for further research into improving diagnostic work-up and treatment effectiveness in CUP.

Indexed as

diagnostic tests and proceduresdrug therapyMedicare Part AMedicare Part BneoplasmsregistriesSEER programsurvival analysisunknown primary

Identifiers

PMID35740574
PMCPMC9221531
OpenAlexW4282599929

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.