Reviewer's report
Title:Most bowel symptoms do not indicate colorectal cancer and polyps: a
systematic review
Version: 1Date:25 February 2011
Reviewer: Adriana Perez
Reviewer's report:
This is a systematic review of the association between bowel symptoms and
colorectal cancer or polys.
Major Compulsory Revisions
Introduction: Omit the variable prediction given that the systematic review with
different type of studies does not allow you to establish a prediction estimate but
only associations.
Page 6, Second paragraph, line 4: Please clarify which terms were used as
random effect and which ones were used as fixed effects.
Appendix 3: Needs clarification on symbols within tables. What is CBH and
others? There is not information in the table and the table has to stand alone.
The order of footnotes for the table does not match the table order, please
re-arrange.
Appendix 4: It is inconsistency between what is shown as DOR (Spell out also)
and what is stated in text regarding as OR or authors need to explain to the
readers what is shown inside the tables if nor DOR values which is only
summarize as one overall value in text. This is confusing. What is the definition of
New in table? Please include the year of the publications.
Figures titles: All figure titles need to spelled out acronyms. Spell out to readers
what is the line in figures. What are the ovals and what is the + sign. Also plots
should start at 0,0 coordinates. These are continuous measurements therefore
the XY coordinates should start at 0 and there should be no distance from 0 to
the other 0 as shown in current version0 Also. Maximum values should be 1,1
instead of additional values in graphs presented..
Figures: Authors need to define what is CRC for readers standing alone in
figures. The dotted lines from black dots to 45 degree dot line are confusing the
purpose. They will need a different type of line given that dotted lines have
different meanings in all figures.
Authors listed the presence of figures 9-16 but they not presented in current
manuscript
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Most bowel symptoms do not indicate colorectal cancer and polyps: a
systematic review
Version: 1Date:25 February 2011
Reviewer: Adriana Perez
Reviewer's report:
This is a systematic review of the association between bowel symptoms and
colorectal cancer or polys.
Major Compulsory Revisions
Introduction: Omit the variable prediction given that the systematic review with
different type of studies does not allow you to establish a prediction estimate but
only associations.
Page 6, Second paragraph, line 4: Please clarify which terms were used as
random effect and which ones were used as fixed effects.
Appendix 3: Needs clarification on symbols within tables. What is CBH and
others? There is not information in the table and the table has to stand alone.
The order of footnotes for the table does not match the table order, please
re-arrange.
Appendix 4: It is inconsistency between what is shown as DOR (Spell out also)
and what is stated in text regarding as OR or authors need to explain to the
readers what is shown inside the tables if nor DOR values which is only
summarize as one overall value in text. This is confusing. What is the definition of
New in table? Please include the year of the publications.
Figures titles: All figure titles need to spelled out acronyms. Spell out to readers
what is the line in figures. What are the ovals and what is the + sign. Also plots
should start at 0,0 coordinates. These are continuous measurements therefore
the XY coordinates should start at 0 and there should be no distance from 0 to
the other 0 as shown in current version0 Also. Maximum values should be 1,1
instead of additional values in graphs presented..
Figures: Authors need to define what is CRC for readers standing alone in
figures. The dotted lines from black dots to 45 degree dot line are confusing the
purpose. They will need a different type of line given that dotted lines have
different meanings in all figures.
Authors listed the presence of figures 9-16 but they not presented in current
manuscript
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Most bowel symptoms do not indicate colorectal cancer and polyps: a
systematic review
Version: 1Date:25 February 2011
Reviewer: Adriana Perez
Reviewer's report:
This is a systematic review of the association between bowel symptoms and
colorectal cancer or polys.
Major Compulsory Revisions
Introduction: Omit the variable prediction given that the systematic review with
different type of studies does not allow you to establish a prediction estimate but
only associations.
Page 6, Second paragraph, line 4: Please clarify which terms were used as
random effect and which ones were used as fixed effects.
Appendix 3: Needs clarification on symbols within tables. What is CBH and
others? There is not information in the table and the table has to stand alone.
The order of footnotes for the table does not match the table order, please
re-arrange.
Appendix 4: It is inconsistency between what is shown as DOR (Spell out also)
and what is stated in text regarding as OR or authors need to explain to the
readers what is shown inside the tables if nor DOR values which is only
summarize as one overall value in text. This is confusing. What is the definition of
New in table? Please include the year of the publications.
Figures titles: All figure titles need to spelled out acronyms. Spell out to readers
what is the line in figures. What are the ovals and what is the + sign. Also plots
should start at 0,0 coordinates. These are continuous measurements therefore
the XY coordinates should start at 0 and there should be no distance from 0 to
the other 0 as shown in current version0 Also. Maximum values should be 1,1
instead of additional values in graphs presented..
Figures: Authors need to define what is CRC for readers standing alone in
figures. The dotted lines from black dots to 45 degree dot line are confusing the
purpose. They will need a different type of line given that dotted lines have
different meanings in all figures.
Authors listed the presence of figures 9-16 but they not presented in current
manuscript
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, and I have assessed the statistics in my report.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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