Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25734382›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of cancer2015

Is increased time to diagnosis and treatment in symptomatic cancer associated with poorer outcomes? Systematic review.

R D Neal, P Tharmanathan, B France, N U Din, S Cotton, J Fallon-Ferguson, W Hamilton, A Hendry, M Hendry, R Lewis and 11 more

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of cancer, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 555 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
555citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
24.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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.

NCT05876676 recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Rapid Diagnostic Centre Biomarker Study

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorRoyal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustRan2023 to 2032Enrolled1,000ConditionsCancer
NCT06305312 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Community Services Navigation to Advance Health Equity in Breast Cancer Screening

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of UtahRan2024 to 2028Enrolled1,450ConditionsBreast CancerArmsCommunity Service Navigation, Usual Care
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

555 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 974 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Early cancer diagnosis and community pharmacies: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
    Pooled it
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  7. Biomarkers Suitable for Early Detection of Intrathoracic Cancers in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025
    Pooled it
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  9. Exploring Whether and How People Experiencing High Deprivation Access Diagnostic Services: A Qualitative Systematic Review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
    Pooled it
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  13. Trial
  14. Article
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  17. Review
  18. Patient delay in oral cancer in North-Western Spain: Where do we stand?Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal · 2026
    Observational
  19. Article
  20. Review

495 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors at 9 institutions in 3 countries.

R D NealNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
P TharmanathanDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
B FranceNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
N U DinNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
S CottonBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham LL13 7TD, UK.
J Fallon-FergusonPrimary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group, School of Primary, Aboriginal, and Rural Healthcare, University of Western Australia, M706, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
W HamiltonUniversity of Exeter Medical School, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
A HendryNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
M HendryNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
R LewisDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
U MacleodCentre for Health and Population studies, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
E D MitchellLeeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9LJ, UK.
M PickettBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham LL13 7TD, UK.
T RaiNorth Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2PZ, UK.
K ShawPrimary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group, School of Primary, Aboriginal, and Rural Healthcare, University of Western Australia, M706, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
N StuartSchool of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2AS UK.
M L TørringResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 2, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark.
C WilkinsonNorth Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK.
B WilliamsPrimary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group, School of Primary, Aboriginal, and Rural Healthcare, University of Western Australia, M706, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
N Williams1] North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor LL13 7YP, UK [2] North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2PZ, UK.
J Emery1] Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group, School of Primary, Aboriginal, and Rural Healthcare, University of Western Australia, M706, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia [2] General Practice & Primary Care Academic Centre, University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia.
Bangor University · GBUniversity of Western Australia · AUBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board · GBUniversity of York · GBAarhus University · DKHull York Medical School · GBUniversity of Exeter · GBUniversity of Leeds · GBUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

Cancer Research UK C8350/A17915Cancer Research UK C8350/A8870
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is unclear whether more timely cancer diagnosis brings favourable outcomes, with much of the previous evidence, in some cancers, being equivocal. We set out to determine whether there is an association between time to diagnosis, treatment and clinical outcomes, across all cancers for symptomatic presentations.

methodsSystematic review of the literature and narrative synthesis.

resultsWe included 177 articles reporting 209 studies. These studies varied in study design, the time intervals assessed and the outcomes reported. Study quality was variable, with a small number of higher-quality studies. Heterogeneity precluded definitive findings. The cancers with more reports of an association between shorter times to diagnosis and more favourable outcomes were breast, colorectal, head and neck, testicular and melanoma.

conclusionsThis is the first review encompassing many cancer types, and we have demonstrated those cancers in which more evidence of an association between shorter times to diagnosis and more favourable outcomes exists, and where it is lacking. We believe that it is reasonable to assume that efforts to expedite the diagnosis of symptomatic cancer are likely to have benefits for patients in terms of improved survival, earlier-stage diagnosis and improved quality of life, although these benefits vary between cancers.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsDelayed DiagnosisHumansPrognosisTime-to-Treatment

Identifiers

PMID25734382
PMCPMC4385982
OpenAlexW2070151882

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.