Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28787432›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2017

Evidence of advanced stage colorectal cancer with longer diagnostic intervals: a pooled analysis of seven primary care cohorts comprising 11 720 patients in five countries.

M L Tørring, P Murchie, W Hamilton, P Vedsted, M Esteva, M Lautrup, M Winget, G Rubin

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 3 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

56 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Delay to elective colorectal cancer surgery and implications for survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2021
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  4. Prediagnostic primary care consultations and imaging in emergency-diagnosed versus referred patients with lung cancer: a population-based linked data study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
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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

8 authors.

M L TørringDepartment of Anthropology, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, Højbjerg DK-8270, Denmark.
P MurchieDivision of Applied Health Sciences, Centre of Academic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
W HamiltonUniversity of Exeter, College House, St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2 LU, UK.
P VedstedResearch Unit for General Practice, Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 20, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark.
M EstevaPrimary Care Research Unit, Primary Care Majorca Department, Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa), Reina Esclaramunda 9, Palma Mallorca 07003, Spain.
M LautrupDepartment of Organ and Plastic Surgery, Breast Centre, Vejle Hospital, Kabbeltoft 25, Vejle DK-7100, Denmark.
M WingetDivision of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1265 Welch Road, MSOB #X214, Stanford, California CA 94305, USA.
G RubinSchool of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, University Boulevard, Stockton on Tees, England TS17 6BH, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe benefits from expedited diagnosis of symptomatic cancer are uncertain. We aimed to analyse the relationship between stage of colorectal cancer (CRC) and the primary and specialist care components of the diagnostic interval.

methodsWe identified seven independent data sets from population-based studies in Scotland, England, Canada, Denmark and Spain during 1997-2010 with a total of 11 720 newly diagnosed CRC patients, who had initially presented with symptoms to a primary care physician. Data were extracted from patient records, registries, audits and questionnaires, respectively. Data sets were required to hold information on dates in the diagnostic interval (defined as the time from the first presentation of symptoms in primary care until the date of diagnosis), symptoms at first presentation in primary care, route of referral, gender, age and histologically confirmed stage. We carried out reanalysis of all individual data sets and, using the same method, analysed a pooled individual patient data set.

resultsThe association between intervals and stage was similar in the individual and combined data set. There was a statistically significant convex (∩-shaped) association between primary care interval and diagnosis of advanced (i.e., distant or regional) rather than localised CRC (P=0.004), with odds beginning to increase from the first day on and peaking at 90 days. For specialist care, we saw an opposite and statistically significant concave (∪-shaped) association, with a trough at 60 days, between the interval and diagnosis of advanced CRC (P<0.001).

conclusionsThis study provides evidence that longer diagnostic intervals are associated with more advanced CRC. Furthermore, the study cannot define a specific 'safe' waiting time as the length of the primary care interval appears to have negative impact from day one.

Indexed as

Delayed DiagnosisEarly Detection of CancerPrimary Health CareAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCanadaCohort StudiesColorectal NeoplasmsDatasets as TopicDenmarkEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle Aged

Identifiers

PMID28787432
PMCPMC5589987

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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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.