ArticleBMJ open2026
Cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality and survival among people with past or current incarceration globally: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
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
introductionCancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Previous research has observed disparities in cancer diagnosis, care and outcomes among people who have been marginalised, including incarcerated populations. Evidence suggests an excess burden of cancer among people who experience incarceration. Currently, no reviews have synthesised quantitative evidence on all types of cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality and survival, stratifying by both cancer type and sex and gender, among people who experience incarceration, compared with those who do not, globally. The objective of this review will be to describe cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality and survival among people who experience incarceration and assess the epidemiological association between incarceration and these outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Peer-reviewed studies that will be included must report on individuals of at least one sex or gender who are currently or formerly incarcerated in correctional facilities under any legal status and report on cancer prevalence, incidence, mortality, stage at diagnosis and/or survival with or without a comparator group. Studies to be included must employ original quantitative or mixed-methods designs in which quantitative data are reported separately. Searches will be conducted in January 2027 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science and Sociological Abstracts, and we will review reference lists. Two independent reviewers will conduct title, abstract and full-text screening and, for included studies, complete data extraction and assess methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will calculate pooled prevalence rates, incidence rates and effect estimates using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity and publication bias will be assessed by I ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will use aggregate data from published studies; therefore, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD420261408922).
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Registered trials
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