Predictive value of inflammatory markers for cancer diagnosis in primary care: a prospective cohort study using electronic health records.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early identification of cancer in primary care is important and challenging. This study examined the diagnostic utility of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and plasma viscosity) for cancer diagnosis in primary care.

Methods

Cohort study of 160,000 patients with inflammatory marker testing in 2014, plus 40,000 untested matched controls, using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), with Cancer Registry linkage. Primary outcome was one-year cancer incidence.

Results

Primary care patients with a raised inflammatory marker have a one-year cancer incidence of 3.53% (95% CI 3.37-3.70), compared to 1.50% (1.43-1.58) in those with normal inflammatory markers, and 0.97% (0.87-1.07) in untested controls. Cancer risk is grea

SUBMITTER: Watson J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6738065 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature