Early detection OSCC - Citation of a retracted paper which claimed to predict the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia up to 5 years before a histologic diagnosis
Dr. Urmila Nair, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
12 June 2011
Oral squamous cell cancer: early detection and the role of alcohol and smoking By Zygogianni et al appearing in Head & Neck Oncology 2011, 3:2doi:10.1186/1758-3284-3-2
The high incidence of Oral squamous cell carcinoma worldwide and its terrible prognosis has led to a large number of studies to establish early detection methods. The authors have rightly stated that there is a clear need for new prognostic indicators, which could be used in diagnostics and, consequently, in the selection of the most effective treatment method. However among the modern methods of oral cytology for OCSC they cite in DNA image cytometry a method for which nuclear DNA content of oral leukoplakia cells can be used to predict the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia up to 5 years before a histologic diagnosis is possible by Sudbo et al 12. This prediction of risk gives the impression of it beingan exceptional method. However, a simple search through pubmed that not only this paper has been retracted 7 but several related papers have been also retracted following an investigation conducted by the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet MC and the University of Oslo into this work, some of them are included in the reference list 1-6,8-11,13-21. I submit that it is very important to prevent citation of such research because many authors are perhaps not aware of these retraction. However in this case all the journals have made it clear that the papers have been retracted and the current authors should make clear corrections accordingly. The Journal of Head and Neck Oncolgy is an important journal in this field and it would be very helpful if standards are in place to avoid such citations in the future.
Reference List
(1) (2006) Retraction. J.Clin.Oncol., 24, 5621 (2) (2007) Notice of Retraction: "Comparison of histological grading and large-scale genomic status (DNA ploidy) as prognostic tools in oral dysplasia" (J Pathol 2001;194:303-310). J.Pathol., 211, 109 (3) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Abnormal DNA content predicts the occurrence of carcinomas in non-dysplastic oral white patches' [Oral Oncol. 37 (2001) 558-565]. Oral Oncol., 43, 418 (4) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in high-risk premalignant oral lesions' [Oral Oncol. 39 (2003) 497-505]. Oral Oncol., 43, 420 (5) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Molecular based treatment of oral cancer' [Oral Oncol. 39 (2003) 749-758]. Oral Oncol., 43, 421 (6) (2007) Retraction notice to 'When is an oral leukoplakia premalignant?' [Oral Oncol. 38 (2002) 813-814]. Oral Oncol., 43, 419 (7) Curfman GD, Morrissey S, Drazen JM (2006) Retraction: Sudbo J et al. DNA content as a prognostic marker in patients with oral leukoplakia. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1270-8 and Sudbo J et al. The influence of resection and aneuploidy on mortality in oral leukoplakia. N Engl J Med 2004;350:1405-13. N.Engl.J.Med., 355, 1927 (8) Horton R (2006) Retraction--Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of oral cancer: a nested case-control study. Lancet., 367, 382 (9) Reed KD, Salzman-Scott SA (2007) Retraction - Sudbo J. Novel management of oral cancer: a paradigm of predictive oncology. Clin Med Res 2004;2:233-242. Clin.Med.Res., 5, 203 (10) Sudbo J, Bryne M, Johannessen AC, Kildal W, Danielsen HE, Reith A (2001) Comparison of histological grading and large-scale genomic status (DNA ploidy) as prognostic tools in oral dysplasia. J.Pathol., 194, 303-310 (11) Sudbo J, Bryne M, Mao L, Lotan R, Reith A, Kildal W et al. (2003) Molecular based treatment of oral cancer. Oral Oncol., 39, 749-758 (12) Sudbo J, Kildal W, Risberg B, Koppang HS, Danielsen HE, Reith A (2001) DNA content as a prognostic marker in patients with oral leukoplakia. N.Engl.J.Med., 344, 1270-1278 (13) Sudbo J, Lee JJ, Lippman SM, Mork J, Sagen S, Flatner N et al. (2005) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of oral cancer: a nested case-control study. Lancet., 366, 1359-1366 (14) Sudbo J, Lippman SM, Lee JJ, Mao L, Kildal W, Sudbo A et al. (2004) The influence of resection and aneuploidy on mortality in oral leukoplakia. N.Engl.J.Med., 350, 1405-1413 (15) Sudbo J, Reith A (2002) When is an oral leukoplakia premalignant? Oral Oncol., 38, 813-814 (16) Retracted: Sudbo J, Reith A (2005) The evolution of predictive oncology and molecular-based therapy for oral cancer prevention. Int.J.Cancer., %20;115, 339-345 (17) Sudbo J, Ried T, Bryne M, Kildal W, Danielsen H, Reith A (2001) Abnormal DNA content predicts the occurrence of carcinomas in non-dysplastic oral white patches. Oral Oncol., 37, 558-565 (18) Sudbo J, Ristimaki A, Sondresen JE, Kildal W, Boysen M, Koppang HS et al. (2003) Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in high-risk premalignant oral lesions. Oral Oncol., 39, 497-505 (19) Sudbo J, Samuelsson R, Risberg B, Heistein S, Nyhus C, Samuelsson M et al. (2005) Risk markers of oral cancer in clinically normal mucosa as an aid in smoking cessation counseling. J.Clin.Oncol., %20;23, 1927-1933 (20) Sudbo J, Warloe T, Aamdal S, Reith A, Bryne M (2001) [Diagnosis and treatment of oral precancerous lesions]. Tidsskr.Nor Laegeforen., 121, 3066-3071 (21) Warloe T, Aamdal S, Reith A, Bryne M (2006) [Retraction of: Diagnostics and treatment of early stages of oral cancer]. Tidsskr.Nor Laegeforen., 126, 2287
Early detection OSCC - Citation of a retracted paper which claimed to predict the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia up to 5 years before a histologic diagnosis
12 June 2011
Oral squamous cell cancer: early detection and the role of alcohol and smoking
By Zygogianni et al appearing in Head & Neck Oncology 2011, 3:2doi:10.1186/1758-3284-3-2
The high incidence of Oral squamous cell carcinoma worldwide and its terrible prognosis has led to a large number of studies to establish early detection methods. The authors have rightly stated that there is a clear need for new prognostic indicators, which could be used in diagnostics and, consequently, in the selection of the most effective treatment method. However among the modern methods of oral cytology for OCSC they cite in DNA image cytometry a method for which nuclear DNA content of oral leukoplakia cells can be used to predict the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia up to 5 years before a histologic diagnosis is possible by Sudbo et al 12. This prediction of risk gives the impression of it beingan exceptional method. However, a simple search through pubmed that not only this paper has been retracted 7 but several related papers have been also retracted following an investigation conducted by the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet MC and the University of Oslo into this work, some of them are included in the reference list 1-6,8-11,13-21.
I submit that it is very important to prevent citation of such research because many authors are perhaps not aware of these retraction. However in this case all the journals have made it clear that the papers have been retracted and the current authors should make clear corrections accordingly. The Journal of Head and Neck Oncolgy is an important journal in this field and it would be very helpful if standards are in place to avoid such citations in the future.
Reference List
(1) (2006) Retraction. J.Clin.Oncol., 24, 5621
(2) (2007) Notice of Retraction: "Comparison of histological grading and large-scale genomic status (DNA ploidy) as prognostic tools in oral dysplasia" (J Pathol 2001;194:303-310). J.Pathol., 211, 109
(3) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Abnormal DNA content predicts the occurrence of carcinomas in non-dysplastic oral white patches' [Oral Oncol. 37 (2001) 558-565]. Oral Oncol., 43, 418
(4) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in high-risk premalignant oral lesions' [Oral Oncol. 39 (2003) 497-505]. Oral Oncol., 43, 420
(5) (2007) Retraction notice to 'Molecular based treatment of oral cancer' [Oral Oncol. 39 (2003) 749-758]. Oral Oncol., 43, 421
(6) (2007) Retraction notice to 'When is an oral leukoplakia premalignant?' [Oral Oncol. 38 (2002) 813-814]. Oral Oncol., 43, 419
(7) Curfman GD, Morrissey S, Drazen JM (2006) Retraction: Sudbo J et al. DNA content as a prognostic marker in patients with oral leukoplakia. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1270-8 and Sudbo J et al. The influence of resection and aneuploidy on mortality in oral leukoplakia. N Engl J Med 2004;350:1405-13. N.Engl.J.Med., 355, 1927
(8) Horton R (2006) Retraction--Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of oral cancer: a nested case-control study. Lancet., 367, 382
(9) Reed KD, Salzman-Scott SA (2007) Retraction - Sudbo J. Novel management of oral cancer: a paradigm of predictive oncology. Clin Med Res 2004;2:233-242. Clin.Med.Res., 5, 203
(10) Sudbo J, Bryne M, Johannessen AC, Kildal W, Danielsen HE, Reith A (2001) Comparison of histological grading and large-scale genomic status (DNA ploidy) as prognostic tools in oral dysplasia. J.Pathol., 194, 303-310
(11) Sudbo J, Bryne M, Mao L, Lotan R, Reith A, Kildal W et al. (2003) Molecular based treatment of oral cancer. Oral Oncol., 39, 749-758
(12) Sudbo J, Kildal W, Risberg B, Koppang HS, Danielsen HE, Reith A (2001) DNA content as a prognostic marker in patients with oral leukoplakia. N.Engl.J.Med., 344, 1270-1278
(13) Sudbo J, Lee JJ, Lippman SM, Mork J, Sagen S, Flatner N et al. (2005) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of oral cancer: a nested case-control study. Lancet., 366, 1359-1366
(14) Sudbo J, Lippman SM, Lee JJ, Mao L, Kildal W, Sudbo A et al. (2004) The influence of resection and aneuploidy on mortality in oral leukoplakia. N.Engl.J.Med., 350, 1405-1413
(15) Sudbo J, Reith A (2002) When is an oral leukoplakia premalignant? Oral Oncol., 38, 813-814
(16) Retracted: Sudbo J, Reith A (2005) The evolution of predictive oncology and molecular-based therapy for oral cancer prevention. Int.J.Cancer., %20;115, 339-345
(17) Sudbo J, Ried T, Bryne M, Kildal W, Danielsen H, Reith A (2001) Abnormal DNA content predicts the occurrence of carcinomas in non-dysplastic oral white patches. Oral Oncol., 37, 558-565
(18) Sudbo J, Ristimaki A, Sondresen JE, Kildal W, Boysen M, Koppang HS et al. (2003) Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in high-risk premalignant oral lesions. Oral Oncol., 39, 497-505
(19) Sudbo J, Samuelsson R, Risberg B, Heistein S, Nyhus C, Samuelsson M et al. (2005) Risk markers of oral cancer in clinically normal mucosa as an aid in smoking cessation counseling. J.Clin.Oncol., %20;23, 1927-1933
(20) Sudbo J, Warloe T, Aamdal S, Reith A, Bryne M (2001) [Diagnosis and treatment of oral precancerous lesions]. Tidsskr.Nor Laegeforen., 121, 3066-3071
(21) Warloe T, Aamdal S, Reith A, Bryne M (2006) [Retraction of: Diagnostics and treatment of early stages of oral cancer]. Tidsskr.Nor Laegeforen., 126, 2287
Competing interests
None declared