Dear Readers,
The editorial office of International Journal of Cancer Management is issuing this expression of concern regarding one of the published articles in this journal (1).
The journal has received a methodological concern regarding the questionnaire reported in the article from a whistleblower (#647228). Specifically, the article refers to the use of an instrument identified as the “EORTC QLQ-STO30.” Concerns have been raised that this instrument may not correspond to a validated or recognized European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire for gastric cancer quality-of-life assessment. The concern further notes that the reported analyses and outcome values may not be compatible with established EORTC scoring procedures, raising questions about the reproducibility and validity of the reported quality-of-life findings.
The editorial office is reviewing this matter in accordance with applicable publication ethics guidance, including the COPE flowchart on concerns regarding fabricated data in a published article (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/flowchart/fabricated-data-published-article).
This notice is issued to inform readers while the matter is under editorial assessment. The journal will update the scientific record when the investigation has concluded.
Sincerely Yours,
Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari
The Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Cancer Management
Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
