Cancer research in the Arab world: A review of publications from seven countries between 2000–2013

This review aimed to examine trends in cancer research in the arab world and identify existing research gaps. a search of the medline® database (national library of medicine,bethesda,maryland,usa) was undertaken for all cancer-related publications published between january 2000 and december 2013 from seven countries,including bahrain,kuwait,iraq,lebanon,morocco,palestine and sudan. a total of 1,773 articles were identified,with a significant increase in yearly publications over time (p <0.005). only 30.6% of the publications included subjects over the age of 50 years old. there was a dearth of cross-sectional/correlational studies (8.8%),randomised controlled trials (2.4%) and systematic reviews/meta-analyses (1.3%). research exploring cancer associations mainly considered social and structural determinants of health (27.1%),followed by behavioural risk factors (14.1%),particularly tobacco use. overall,more cancer research is needed in the arab world,particularly analytical studies with high-quality evidence and those focusing on older age groups and associations with physical activity and diet. © 2017,sultan qaboos university. all rights reserved.