Opportunities for reducing emergency diagnoses of colon cancer in women and men: A data-linkage study on pre-diagnostic symptomatic presentations and benign diagnoses.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To identify opportunities for reducing emergency colon cancer diagnoses, we evaluated symptoms and benign diagnoses recorded before emergency presentations (EP).

Methods

Cohort of 5,745 colon cancers diagnosed in England 2005-2010, with individually linked cancer registry and primary care data for the 5-year pre-diagnostic period.

Results

Colon cancer was diagnosed following EP in 34% of women and 30% of men. Among emergency presenters, 20% of women and 15% of men (p = 0.002) had alarm symptoms (anaemia/rectal bleeding/change in bowel habit) 2-12 months pre-diagnosis. Women with abdominal symptoms (change in bowel habit/constipation/diarrhoea) received a benign diagnosis (irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)/diverticular disease) more frequently than men in the y

SUBMITTER: Renzi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6492167 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature