The usefulness of symptoms alone or combined for general practitioners in considering the diagnosis of a brain tumour: a case-control study using the clinical practice research database (CPRD) (2000-2014).

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To evaluate the utility of different symptoms, alone or combined, presented to primary care for an adult brain tumour diagnosis.

Design and setting

Matched case-control study, using the data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2000-2014) from primary care consultations in the UK.

Method

All presentations within 6 months of the index diagnosis date (cases) or equivalent (controls) were coded into 32 symptom groups. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs) and positive likelihood ratios were calculated for symptoms and combinations of symptoms with headache and cognitive features. Diagnostic odds ratios were calculated using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for age group, sex and Charlson comorbidity. Stratified analyses were

SUBMITTER: Ozawa M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6720478 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature