ArticleBMC family practice2014
Skin lesions suspected of malignancy: an increasing burden on general practice.
Article in BMC family practice, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
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.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnosing malignant melanoma in ambulatory care: a systematic review of clinical prediction rules.BMJ open · 2017Pooled it
- The integration of dermatology experts into primary care to assess and treat patients with skin lesions is cost-effective: A quasi-experimental study.Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2025Article
- Integrating dermatologists in primary care: impact on delays, patient and professional experiences.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Three-Point Checklist Dermoscopy for Melanoma Screening: Experience in Medical Students New to Dermatology.Dermatology practical & conceptual · 2024Article
- Needs and challenges among general practitioners in the management of actinic keratosis: a qualitative study.BMC primary care · 2023Article
- Artificial intelligence in mobile health for skin cancer diagnostics at home (AIM HIGH): a pilot feasibility study.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Measuring the quality of skin cancer management in primary care: A scoping review.The Australasian journal of dermatology · 2023Article
- Office-Based Minor Surgery: An Ever-Increasing Challenge Not Only for the Dutch General Practitioner.Family medicine · 2023Article
- Short- and Long-Term Evaluation of General Practitioners' Competences After a Training in Melanoma Diagnosis: Refresher Training Sessions May Be Needed.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2022Article
- To Refer or Not to Refer in Teledermoscopy: Retrospective Study.JMIR dermatology · 2022Article
- An international clinician survey CompAring Nonabsorbable Vs. Absorbable sutures for Skin surgery: the CANVAS study.The British journal of dermatology · 2022Article
- Validation of a Market-Approved Artificial Intelligence Mobile Health App for Skin Cancer Screening: A Prospective Multicenter Diagnostic Accuracy Study.Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Melanoma Diagnostic Practices of French-Speaking Belgian General Practitioners and the Prospective Study of Their Pigmented Skin Lesion Diagnostic Accuracy and Management.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2021Observational
- Reorganising dermatology care: predictors of the substitution of secondary care with primary care.BMC health services research · 2020Article
- Point-of-care, multispectral, smartphone-based dermascopes for dermal lesion screening and erythema monitoring.Journal of biomedical optics · 2020Article
- Healthcare utilization and management of actinic keratosis in primary and secondary care: a complementary database analysis.The British journal of dermatology · 2019Article
- Differences in Rate of Complete Excision of Basal Cell Carcinoma by Dermatologists, Plastic Surgeons and General Practitioners: A Large Cross-Sectional Study.Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) · 2018Article
- A Clinical Aid for Detecting Skin Cancer: The Triage Amalgamated Dermoscopic Algorithm (TADA).Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM · 2016Observational
- Risk of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Associated With the Use of Immunosuppressant and Biologic Agents in Patients With a History of Autoimmune Disease and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.JAMA dermatology · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSkin cancer is believed to impose a heavy burden on healthcare services, but the burden of skin lesions suspected of malignancy on primary healthcare has never been evaluated. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the demand for care in general practice due to these suspected skin lesions (i.e. lesions that are suspected of malignancy by either the patient or the GP).
methodsRegistry study based on data (2001-2010) from the Registration Network Groningen. This is a general practice registration network in the northern part of the Netherlands with an average annual population of approximately 30,000 patients. All patient contacts are coded according to the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC). Consultations for skin lesions suspected of malignancy were selected according to the assigned ICPC codes. Subsequently, the number of consultations per year and the annual percent change in number of contacts (using the JoinPoint regression program) were calculated and analysed. Additionally, the percentage of patients referred to secondary care or receiving minor surgery within one year after the first contact were calculated.
resultsFrom 2001 onwards we found an annual increase in demand for care due to skin lesions suspected of malignancy of 7.3% (p < 0.01) and in 2010 the benign:malignant ratio was 10:1. In total 13.0% of the patients were referred and after 2006, minor surgery was performed on 31.2% of the patients. Most surgeries and referrals took place within 30 days.
conclusionsSuspected skin lesions impose an increasing burden on primary healthcare and most likely on healthcare costs as well. General practitioners should therefore be trained in diagnosing skin lesions suspected of malignancy, as a high diagnostic accuracy can save lives in the case of melanoma, and may also prevent unnecessary, costly, excisions and referrals to secondary healthcare.
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Registered trials
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.