Title: Prevalence and associated factors of baseline anemia among cervical cancer patients in
Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.
Version: 3 Date: 01 Dec 2020
Reviewer's report:
The paper describes an interesting study. The Authors investigated the prevalence of anemia
and its predictors among patient with cervical cancer in one center in Ethiopia in a three-years
retrospective study.
The overall manuscript is organized and well-designed. Similar studies however, have been
performed in other countries.
The whole manuscript should be revised; preferably by an English native speaker. All the
grammatical, typographical as well as errors in the sentences’ construction should be corrected.
Major:
BACKGROUND: The introduction requires major editing and shortening. The Authors should
focus on the research question and the aim. The extra details regarding previous studies (p. 2
of the background) should be remove. These details might be reserved and thus added to the
discussion.
METHODS: Age was applied into 5 categories, while applying it as continuous variable would
be better. Does the OR and CI would change in that case?
Why have the Authors taken into consideration only HTN and HIV as comorbidities? What
about other diseases?
RESULTS: table 4 shows the results of the multivariate regression model. Please show also
the results from the univariate analysis. Later, the Author might restrict the variables resulting
significant from the univariate analysis into the regression model. This might results in new
interesting findings.
DISCUSSION: The discussion needs amplification. The Authors should discuss better their
findings, especially the controversial ones and compare them with previous studies other than
the two already mentioned (Ref. 4) and (Ref. 8).
Can the higher prevalence of anemia in the study population be due to well-known risk factors
such as HPV? Is there any previous data reporting such information and thus explaining better
this finding?
Any explanation regarding the higher prevalence of anemia among cigarette smokers?
LIMITATION: the study has been conducted in only one center in Ethiopia, this should be
addressed as the limitation.
Minor:
Please insert numbers to pages.
Correct the numbering for table 1 and table 2.
In the “operational definitions”, the Authors define “substance”. I however suggest to make the
meanings of “substance” and “region” clearer, particularly in the Abstract. When first read, the
exact meaning for both “substance” and “region” is not clear enough.
ABSTRACT: report the prevalence as % not as number.
Make it clearer in the abstract that this is 3-years retrospective study (2014-2016).
BACKGROUND:
Rephrase paragraph 2.
Connect better paragraphs 3 and 4.
Connect better the first 3 sentences in paragraph 2
"Roughly 40 to 64% of patients....(Paragraph 4); is it worldwide or from Ethiopia?
METHODS:
Can the Authors provide an estimate on the proportion of cervical cancer patients refereed to
TASH?
In “Sample size determination, sampling procedure and study variables”: the “inclusion criteria”
is not clearly mentioned in the manuscript.
Provide another reference, like an international guideline, in support to the definition/criteria
of anemia?