SynthesisBMC health services research2006
The effects of the Two-Week Rule on NHS colorectal cancer diagnostic services: a systematic literature review.
Synthesis in BMC health services research, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Risk prediction models for colorectal cancer in people with symptoms: a systematic review.BMC gastroenterology · 2016Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Value of symptoms and additional diagnostic tests for colorectal cancer in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2010Pooled it
- Patient and healthcare professionals' perceptions of a combined blood and faecal immunochemical test for excluding colorectal cancer diagnosis in primary care.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2023Article
- Non-anaemic iron deficiency should be investigated with the same priority as iron deficiency anaemia in fast track colorectal clinics-retrospective cohort study.Journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2020Article
- Prediction of advanced colonic neoplasm in symptomatic patients: a scoring system to prioritize colonoscopy (COLONOFIT study).BMC cancer · 2019Article
- Article
- Symptom or faecal immunochemical test based referral criteria for colorectal cancer detection in symptomatic patients: a diagnostic tests study.BMC gastroenterology · 2018Article
- Anaemia as a risk stratification tool for symptomatic patients referred via the two-week wait pathway for colorectal cancer.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2018Article
- Article
- Improving colorectal cancer referrals.BMJ open quality · 2018Article
- The effect of the 2-week wait referral system on the detection of and mortality from colorectal cancer: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2016Article
- Development and external validation of a faecal immunochemical test-based prediction model for colorectal cancer detection in symptomatic patients.BMC medicine · 2016Article
- Primary-to-secondary care referral experience of suspected colorectal malignancy in young adults.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2016Article
- Colorectal cancer diagnosis: Pitfalls and opportunities.World journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2015Review
- Evaluation of serum lysyl oxidase as a blood test for colorectal cancer.European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology · 2014Article
- The role of primary care in early detection and follow-up of cancer.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2014Review
- The Two-Week Referral System for colorectal cancer--not fit for purpose.International journal of colorectal disease · 2013Article
- Secondary care intervals before and after the introduction of urgent referral guidelines for suspected cancer in Denmark: a comparative before-after study.BMC health services research · 2013Article
- Patients' experiences of referral for colorectal cancer.BMC family practice · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Two-Week Rule (TWR) was introduced to ensure that all patients with a suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) saw a hospital specialist within 14 days of an urgent GP referral. Guidelines were available to GPs to facilitate the appropriate TWR referral of patients exhibiting high-risk CRC symptoms.
methodsWe aimed to evaluate the TWR and its CRC detection rate on NHS CRC diagnostic services by performing a literature search and critically appraising the peer-reviewed studies. Only 12 studies were eligible for inclusion. Data was collected and overall results were given as weighted averages.
resultsThe studies identified indicated that only 10.3% of patients referred by the TWR were eventually diagnosed with CRC. When examining the referral origin of all CRC patients diagnosed during the time of the studies, 24% had been referred using the TWR, 24.1% were referred as emergency cases, and 52.4% were referred using alternative routes. No evidence was found to indicate that the TWR had resulted in identifying CRC patients at an earlier, more treatable stage of their disease.
conclusionThe TWR referral system needs to be improved to increase the number of CRC patients referred using this fast track method as they present to their GP. The TWR and new NICE Guidelines for the referral of patients with suspected cancer should be independently evaluated.
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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.