Reviewer's report
Title:Arsenic, vinyl chloride, viral hepatitis, and hepatic angiosarcoma: A
hospital-based study and review of literature in Taiwan
Version: 3Date:22 August 2011
Reviewer: laura rozek
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript is a description of cases of hepatic angiosarcoma in Taiwan.
Cases at a single hospital were reviewed to evaluate the roles of vinyl chloride
monomer, arsenic and viral hepatitis. A literature review was conducted and
included all patients of hepatic angiosarcoma reported in Taiwan. Cases
descriptions were provided for nine cases over a ten year period from the
hospital, and an additional nine cases identified in the literature. The conclusions
are that hepatic angiosarcoma are rare and not explained by exposure to
hepatitis, arsenic or vinyl choloride monomer. This manuscript is limited in that
the exposure history was collected through evaluation of medical records and
through literature case report, with no information provided on completeness of
records or comparativeness of data between hospital records and published
reports. The number of cases is too small to draw any epidemiologic conclusions.
Thus, the findings are inconclusive at best.
Level of interest: An article of insufficient interest to warrant publication in a
scientific/medical journal
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Arsenic, vinyl chloride, viral hepatitis, and hepatic angiosarcoma: A
hospital-based study and review of literature in Taiwan
Version: 3Date:22 August 2011
Reviewer: laura rozek
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript is a description of cases of hepatic angiosarcoma in Taiwan.
Cases at a single hospital were reviewed to evaluate the roles of vinyl chloride
monomer, arsenic and viral hepatitis. A literature review was conducted and
included all patients of hepatic angiosarcoma reported in Taiwan. Cases
descriptions were provided for nine cases over a ten year period from the
hospital, and an additional nine cases identified in the literature. The conclusions
are that hepatic angiosarcoma are rare and not explained by exposure to
hepatitis, arsenic or vinyl choloride monomer. This manuscript is limited in that
the exposure history was collected through evaluation of medical records and
through literature case report, with no information provided on completeness of
records or comparativeness of data between hospital records and published
reports. The number of cases is too small to draw any epidemiologic conclusions.
Thus, the findings are inconclusive at best.
Level of interest: An article of insufficient interest to warrant publication in a
scientific/medical journal
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Arsenic, vinyl chloride, viral hepatitis, and hepatic angiosarcoma: A
hospital-based study and review of literature in Taiwan
Version: 3Date:22 August 2011
Reviewer: laura rozek
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript is a description of cases of hepatic angiosarcoma in Taiwan.
Cases at a single hospital were reviewed to evaluate the roles of vinyl chloride
monomer, arsenic and viral hepatitis. A literature review was conducted and
included all patients of hepatic angiosarcoma reported in Taiwan. Cases
descriptions were provided for nine cases over a ten year period from the
hospital, and an additional nine cases identified in the literature. The conclusions
are that hepatic angiosarcoma are rare and not explained by exposure to
hepatitis, arsenic or vinyl choloride monomer. This manuscript is limited in that
the exposure history was collected through evaluation of medical records and
through literature case report, with no information provided on completeness of
records or comparativeness of data between hospital records and published
reports. The number of cases is too small to draw any epidemiologic conclusions.
Thus, the findings are inconclusive at best.
Level of interest: An article of insufficient interest to warrant publication in a
scientific/medical journal
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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