Pre-referral GP consultations in patients subsequently diagnosed with rarer cancers: a study of patient-reported data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Some patients with cancer experience multiple pre-diagnostic consultations in primary care, leading to longer time intervals to specialist investigations and diagnosis. Patients with rarer cancers are thought to be at higher risk of such events, but concrete evidence of this is lacking.

Aim

To examine the frequency and predictors of repeat consultations with GPs in patients with rarer cancers.

Design and setting

Patient-reported data on pre-referral consultations from three English national surveys of patients with cancer (2010, 2013, and 2014), pooled to maximise the sample size of rarer cancers.

Method

The authors examined the frequency and crude and adjusted odds ratios for ≥3 (versus 1-2) pre-referral consultations by age, sex, ethnicity, level o

SUBMITTER: Mendonca SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4758496 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature