title: Correlation between financial relationships with commercial interests and research prominence at an oncology meeting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the effects of financial relationships between biomedical researchers and industry (financial conflicts of interest [FCOIs]) on research prominence. We examined the prevalence of FCOIs in oncology and associations between FCOIs and research prominence among abstracts presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 20,718 abstracts presented at ASCO meetings in 2006 and 2008 to 2011. Measures included the following: financial relationships, peer review score (PRS), and meeting placement prominence (descending order of prominence: plenary session, clinical science symposium, oral presentation, poster discussion, general posters, and publish only).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 20,718 abstracts, 36% reported at least one author with an FCOI. The proportion of abstracts with any FCOI increased from 33% in 2006 to 38% in 2011 (P < .001). Abstracts with FCOIs had significantly higher meeting prominence compared with publish only and general poster abstracts. The odds ratios compared with general posters were 7.3 for plenary session, 2.2 for clinical science symposium, 1.9 for oral presentation, and 1.7 for poster discussion (P < .001). Abstracts with FCOIs had significantly better PRSs compared with those without FCOIs. For all abstracts, PRS was 2.76 (95% CI, 2.75 to 2.77) with FCOIs compared with 3.01 (95% CI, 3.001 to 3.02) without FCOIs (P < .001). Omitting publish-only abstracts, PRS was 2.62 (95% CI, 2.61 to 2.63) with FCOIs compared with 2.73 without FCOIs (95% CI, 2.71 to 2.73).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abstracts with FCOIs had more prominent meeting placement and better PRSs. FCOIs were reported more frequently by year, suggesting an increasing influence of industry on cancer research, greater disclosure, or both.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, 55 Fruit St, Yawkey 9A, Boston, MA 02114, USA. bmoy@partners.org
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moy
authors.forename: Angela R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bradbury
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Helft
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Egleston
authors.forename: Moktar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sheikh-Salah
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peppercorn
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics; D005378:Financial Support; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000191:economics*; D009935:Organizational Affiliation; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics*