SynthesisArchives of dermatological research2025
Shades of evidence: a review of skin color reporting in melanoma-related randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Archives of dermatological research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Seeing Skin Tone Differently: An Experimental Comparison of Objective Measurements and Subjective Perceptions.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo examine the rate of skin color reporting in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving melanoma in the top ten highest dermatology journals by impact factor over the past four decades.
methodsA systematic review of RCTs involving melanoma within the top ten dermatology journals, as determined by impact factor, was conducted from inception to July 10th, 2023. Studies were included if they reviewed the diagnosis and/or treatment of melanoma, were RCTs, directly involved patients and were written in English. Studies were characterized as positive for reporting skin of color (SOC) if the demographic data in the results or methods sections included any of the following: race, ethnicity, skin of color, Fitzpatrick scale, sunburn tendency, phototype, skin type, or skin tone.
resultsOut of 76 studies initially identified, only 49 articles met inclusion criteria. Of these 49 articles, only 24 articles recorded data of skin color from their demographics (49%). Subgroup analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the rate of reporting between studies grouped by decade (p = 0.779) or by study location (p = 0.763).
conclusionDarker skin tones can disguise melanotic skin lesions. Less than 50% of RCTs related to melanoma in the top ten international dermatology journals included skin color within their results section to characterize study participants. This has a negative impact on our understanding of this potentially devastating disease.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.