[Description of adverse events in publications of clinical trials: much room for improvement]

Recenti Prog Med. 2019 Jul-Aug;110(7):323-324. doi: 10.1701/3197.31742.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

Description of toxicity is crucial for a thorough evaluation of cancer treatments, but it is often suboptimal. A systematic review of target drugs and immunotherapy approved by Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2015 showed, for instance, that 95% of publications did not describe late toxicities, 94% did not report the duration of adverse events while, in 75% of papers, the list of toxicities was limited to the most frequent ones. The availability of online appendixes would make it possible not to limit the published information, improving the accuracy of the description of adverse events.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / adverse effects
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / adverse effects
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / methods
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Periodicals as Topic / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents