Factors Associated With Failure to Publish Large Randomized Trials Presented at an Oncology Meeting

Abstract

Large randomized controlled trials are the criterion standard upon which most treatment decisions are made, and nondissemination of their results is likely to have a negative impact on clinical practice. There are additional ethical implications, since nonpublication of trial results breaks the contract between investigators and study participants and funding agencies.^1,2 This problem may be exaggerated if the likelihood of publication is influenced by study outcome, a phenomenon termed publication bias.^3-10 Not identifying unpublished negative studies can cause bias in systematic reviews or meta-analyses through overestimation of treatment effects⁷; it also can contribute to inappropriate treatment decisions for patients encountered in routine practice, as well as to suboptimal treatment policies.^1,11 Research into reasons for nonpublication suggests that often the authors are influenced by results of the study and lose interest in negative studies.^4,6