JCO global oncology
Evidence in National Comprehensive Cancer Network Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Research Analysis
By Swartz SJ, Spielman G, Agezew S and 12 others.
Abstract
Purpose
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Harmonized Guidelines for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have emerged as leading cancer treatment guidelines in SSA. The objective of this study is to examine the evidence cited in support of the NCCN-SSA guidelines, with a focus on population characteristics and generalizability to SSA.
Methods
This meta-research analysis included all studies cited in support of treatment and/or management recommendations in the NCCN-SSA guidelines for the nine most common cancers in SSA. Studies were identified by two independent reviewers; duplicate studies, those lacking individual-level data, and those unrelated to treatment and/or management were excluded. Data on the study type, participant demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity), and recruitment geography were abstracted from each full-text article. Descriptive analyses were performed using R to characterize the study type (eg, experimental, observational), demographics (mean age, percent female/male, percent by race/ethnicity), and geographic representation overall and by individual cancer type.