Prioritising primary care patients with unexpected weight loss for cancer investigation: diagnostic accuracy study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To quantify the predictive value of unexpected weight loss (WL) for cancer according to patient's age, sex, smoking status, and concurrent clinical features (symptoms, signs, and abnormal blood test results).

Design

Diagnostic accuracy study.

Setting

Clinical Practice Research Datalink electronic health records data linked to the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service in primary care, England.

Participants

63 973 adults (≥18 years) with a code for unexpected WL from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2012.

Main outcome measures

Cancer diagnosis in the six months after the earliest weight loss code (index date). Codes for additional clinical features were identified in the three months before to one month after the index date. Diagnostic a

SUBMITTER: Nicholson BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7424394 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature