[Preliminary assessment of articles reporting cancer diagnostic tests].
OBJECTIVE
To improve the quality of papers on clinical diagnostic tests.


METHODS
Articles of diagnostic tests published in the Chinese Journal of Oncology in the year 1990 were surveyed by cluster sampling method.


RESULTS
In the 23 articles surveyed, immunoassays constituted the largest category, accounting for 39.1% (9/23), followed by biochemical markers and radiological tests, accounting for 17.4% (4/23) and 13.0%(3/23), respectively. Of the 23 articles, 19 (82.6%) employed a well-defined "gold standard", 14 (60.9%) correctly calculated sensitivity and specificity. The interpretation of the test was stated to be "blind" in only 39.1%(9/32). In only one paper were all the seven methodologic criteria adhered. Less than 60% of the articles followed more than four of the seven methodologic criteria, and in 2 articles only one of the criteria was met with.


CONCLUSIONS
Although due attention has been paid to the methodologic criteria of assessing diagnostic tests, the quality of the articles surveyed needs to be improved.
Dong
W
W
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, First Clinical College, Chinese Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Ma
C
C
D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008091:Literature; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011642:Publications; D012107:Research Design