Systematic Reviews and Quality Appraisal of In Vitro Cancer Studies: Investigation of Current Practice

Abstract

Background/aim: To assess the quantity and quality of systematic reviews of in vitro cancer studies.

Materials and methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Knowledge and PROSPERO databases were searched. Articles described as systematic reviews of in vitro studies, focused on or relevant to cancer and published in English were selected and appraised using an adapted version of AMSTAR 2 'critical domains'.

Results: From 4,021 records, 41 reviews described as systematic and cancer-related were identified. Publication dates indicate increasing frequency of systematic review conduct. Mean number of databases searched was three (range=1-8). Thirty-six reviews (88%) reported search methods, 35 (85%) specified inclusion criteria, 26 (63%) reported study selection methods, and 21 (51%) used reporting guidelines. Only 13 reviews (32%) involved formal quality assessment.

Conclusion: Detailed investigation of reviews of cancer-relevant in vitro studies indicates need for further development and use of robust search strategies, appropriate quality assessment tools, and researchers with relevant skills.

Keywords: Neoplasms; cell culture; critical appraisal; in vitro studies; in vitro techniques; quality; review; systematic reviews.