The presenting symptom signatures of incident cancer: evidence from the English 2018 National Cancer Diagnosis Audit.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding relationships between presenting symptoms and subsequently diagnosed cancers can inform symptom awareness campaigns and investigation strategies.

Methods

We used English National Cancer Diagnosis Audit 2018 data for 55,122 newly diagnosed patients, and examined the relative frequency of presenting symptoms by cancer site, and of cancer sites by presenting symptom.

Results

Among 38 cancer sites (16 cancer groups), three classes were apparent: cancers with a dominant single presenting symptom (e.g. melanoma); cancers with diverse presenting symptoms (e.g. pancreatic); and cancers that are often asymptomatically detected (e.g. chronic lymphocytic leukaemia). Among 83 symptoms (13 symptom groups), two classes were apparent: symptoms chiefly relati

SUBMITTER: Zakkak N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10803766 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature