Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40847388›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of ovarian cancer in Syria during the war years: a national multicenter retrospective study (2017-2021).

Shant Apelian, Alaa Hamdan, Rita Mohammad, Aram Abbas, Saliha Rizvi, Gowhar Rashid, Rim M Harfouch, Shahd Maarrawi, Abdallah Aladna, Ibrahim Shammas and 4 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

14 authors.

Shant ApelianDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tishreen University Hospital, Latakia, Syria. apelianshant@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3409-5442
Alaa HamdanCancer Research Center, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Rita MohammadCancer Research Center, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Aram AbbasFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Saliha RizviDepartment of Biotechnology, Era University, Lucknow, India.
Gowhar RashidDepartment of Medical Lab Technology, Amity Medical School, Amity University, Haryana, Gurugram, India.
Rim M HarfouchDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Shahd MaarrawiFaculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
Abdallah AladnaFaculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
Ibrahim ShammasFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Mounzer BoubouFaculty of Education, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Michael GeorgeosDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Tishreen University Hospital, Latakia, Syria.
Zuheir AlshehabiCancer Research Center, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria.
Safa K SalmanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tishreen University Hospital, Latakia, Syria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite the high burden and regional variability of ovarian cancer (OC), data on its status in Syria, a country impacted by long-standing conflict, remain scarce. This study aimed to provide the first nationwide analysis of OC epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics.

methodsIn this national, multicenter, retrospective cross-sectional study, we collected data from three tertiary referral university hospitals in Syria: Tishreen University Hospital, Al-Bairouni University Hospital, and Ibn Rushd Hospital. The inclusion period spanned from 2017 to 2021. All included patients were 18 years or older and had a newly diagnosed, confirmed primary OC. Data collected included sociodemographic information, presenting symptoms, CA-125 levels, and treatment details.

resultsA total of 531 patients with OC with a mean age of 53.1 years (range: 18-91) were included in the study, representing 1.2% (95% confidence interval: 1.1%-1.3%) of the 44,248 patients diagnosed with all types of cancer. Serous carcinoma (55.4%) was the most common OC subtype, followed by mucinous (13.8%) and endometrioid carcinoma (9.7%). Among epithelial OCs, having high levels of CA-125 was associated with higher odds of serous carcinoma (adjusted OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.08-4.91) and lower odds of endometrioid cancer adjusted OR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08-0.54). Abdominal bloating was the most frequently reported symptom, affecting 194 patients (36.5%).

conclusionsOur study revealed a lower proportion of OCs diagnoses among all cancer cases compared to global and regional data which may be attributed to underreporting, influenced by the disease's specific characteristics and presence of more barriers for women to healthcare access in Syria's conflict-affected setting. Given the study's limitations, further research is essential to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the OC burden in Syria.

Indexed as

Ovarian NeoplasmsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSyriaYoung AdultArmed conflictsEpidemiologyEpithelial ovarian carcinomaOvarian cancerSyria

Identifiers

PMID40847388
PMCPMC12374289

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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.