Journal retractions in oncology: a bibliometric study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Bibliometrics
• Scientific Integrity

Background:

• Article retractions are a critical indicator of scientific integrity.
• Understanding trends in retractions is essential for maintaining trust in medical research.
• Oncology research, particularly concerning cancer treatments, requires rigorous scrutiny.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze secular trends in article retractions within the oncology literature.
• To specifically examine retractions related to cancer treatments and patient data.
• To identify changes in the time from publication to retraction and overall retraction rates.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of retracted articles indexed in PubMed.
• Data collection spanned the period from 2000 to 2018.
• Focus on oncology publications, with specific attention to treatment-related studies.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in the overall retraction rate in oncology literature was observed.
• The time from publication to retraction (article lifetime) has decreased.
• Over 20% of retracted oncology articles pertained to cancer treatments, including clinical trials and supplement studies.

Conclusions:

• The findings indicate a concerning rise in retracted oncology publications.
• The acceleration of retraction times suggests quicker identification of issues but also potential for faster dissemination of flawed research.
• The high proportion of treatment-related retractions underscores the risks associated with scientific misconduct in cancer research.