Journal article
Overinterpretation and misreporting of prognostic factor studies in oncology: a systematic review
British journal of cancer, Vol.119(10), pp.1288-1296
11/2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107905
PMCID: PMC6251031
PMID: 30353050
Abstract
Cancer prognostic biomarkers have shown disappointing clinical applicability. The objective of this study was to classify and estimate how study results are overinterpreted and misreported in prognostic factor studies in oncology.
This systematic review focused on 17 oncology journals with an impact factor above 7. PubMed was searched for primary clinical studies published in 2015, evaluating prognostic factors. We developed a classification system, focusing on three domains: misleading reporting (selective, incomplete reporting, misreporting), misleading interpretation (unreliable statistical analysis, spin) and misleading extrapolation of the results (claiming irrelevant clinical applicability, ignoring uncertainty).
Our search identified 10,844 articles. The 98 studies included investigated a median of two prognostic factors (Q1-Q3, 1-7). The prognostic factors' effects were selectively and incompletely reported in 35/98 and 24/98 full texts, respectively. Twenty-nine articles used linguistic spin in the form of strong statements. Linguistic spin rejecting non-significant results was found in 34 full-text results and 15 abstract results sections. One in five articles had discussion and/or abstract conclusions that were inconsistent with the study findings. Sixteen reports had discrepancies between their full-text and abstract conclusions.
Our study provides evidence of frequent overinterpretation of findings of prognostic factor assessment in high-impact medical oncology journals.
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Details
- Title
- Overinterpretation and misreporting of prognostic factor studies in oncology: a systematic review
- Creators
- Emmanuelle Kempf - Department of Medical Oncology, Henri Mondor and Albert Chenevier Teaching Hospital, APHP, Créteil, FranceJennifer A de Beyer - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKJonathan Cook - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKJane Holmes - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKSeid Mohammed - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKTri-Long Nguyên - Laboratory UPRES EA2415, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Clinical Research and Health Economics, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, FranceIveta Simera - Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKMarialena Trivella - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKDouglas G Altman - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKSally Hopewell - Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKKarel G M Moons - Cochrane Netherlands, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsRaphael Porcher - Department of Epidemiology, Hôtel Dieu Teaching Hospital, APHP, Paris, FranceJohannes B Reitsma - Cochrane Netherlands, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsWilli Sauerbrei - Institute for Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, GermanyGary S Collins - NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK. gary.collins@csm.ox.ac.uk
- Publication Details
- British journal of cancer, Vol.119(10), pp.1288-1296
- Publisher
- England
- Grant note
- C5529/A16895 / Cancer Research UK
- Identifiers
- 99900546887201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article