Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16106247›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2005

Clinical features of colorectal cancer before diagnosis: a population-based case-control study.

W Hamilton, A Round, D Sharp, T J Peters

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 145 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
145citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

145 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  5. Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2018
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  7. Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2014
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  8. A literature synthesis of symptom prevalence and severity in persons receiving active cancer treatment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2013
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  10. The diagnostic value of symptoms for colorectal cancer in primary care: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2011
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  11. Positive predictive values of ≥5% in primary care for cancer: systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2010
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85 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

W HamiltonAcademic Unit of Primary Health Care, Department of Community Based Medicine, University of Bristol, UK. w.hamilton@bristol.ac.uk
A Round
D Sharp
T J Peters

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Most colorectal cancers are diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. However, the risk of colorectal cancer posed by particular symptoms is largely unknown, especially in unselected populations like primary care. This was a population-based case-control study in all 21 general practices in Exeter, Devon, UK, aiming to identify and quantify the prediagnostic features of colorectal cancer. In total, 349 patients with colorectal cancer, aged 40 years or more, and 1744 controls, matched by age, sex and general practice, were studied. The full medical record for 2 years before diagnosis was coded using the International Classification of Primary Care-2. We calculated odds ratios for variables independently associated with cancer, using multivariable conditional logistic regressions, and then calculated the positive predictive values of these variables, both individually and in combination. In total, 10 features were associated with colorectal cancer before diagnosis. The positive predictive values (95% confidence interval) of these were rectal bleeding 2.4% (1.9, 3.2); weight loss 1.2% (0.91, 1.6); abdominal pain 1.1% (0.86, 1.3); diarrhoea 0.94% (0.73, 1.1); constipation 0.42% (0.34, 0.52); abnormal rectal examination 4.0% (2.4, 7.4); abdominal tenderness 1.1% (0.77, 1.5); haemoglobin <10.0 g dl(-1) 2.3% (1.6, 3.1); positive faecal occult bloods 7.1% (5.1, 10); blood glucose >10 mmol l(-1) 0.78% (0.51, 1.1): all P < 0.001. Earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer may be possible using the predictive values for single or multiple symptoms, physical signs or test results.

Indexed as

Abdominal PainAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBlood GlucoseCase-Control StudiesColorectal NeoplasmsConstipationDiarrheaFemaleGastrointestinal HemorrhageHemoglobinsHumansMaleMedical RecordsMiddle AgedBlood GlucoseHemoglobins

Identifiers

PMID16106247
PMCPMC2361578

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.