ArticleThe Permanente journal2018
Diagnostic Pathway of Oral Cavity Cancer in an Integrated Health Care System.
Article in The Permanente journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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
9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Primary Care Referral Delays in Oral Cancer Diagnosis: A Meta-Analysis.Oral diseases · 2025Pooled it
- The duration of intervals on the oral cancer care pathway and implications for survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Current knowledge, attitude and practice among dental hygienists in oral cancer awareness: Systematic review.International journal of dental hygiene · 2022Pooled it
- Disparities in stage at diagnosis of head and neck tumours in Brazil: a comprehensive analysis of hospital-based cancer registries.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2025Article
- The interval since first symptoms until diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region is still a problem in southern Brazil.Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal · 2020Article
- Oral Leukoplakia and Risk of Progression to Oral Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2020Article
- Delay in diagnosis of patients with head-and-neck cancer in Canada: impact of patient and provider delay.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2020Article
- Role of Sentinel Lymph Node Drainage Mapping for Localization of Contralateral Lymph Node Metastasis in Locally Advanced Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Prospective Pilot Study.Indian journal of nuclear medicine : IJNM : the official journal of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, IndiaArticle
- Patients with oral preneoplastic lesions and integration of dental pathology referrals.American journal of otolaryngologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextSurvival for patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) has remained relatively stagnant despite advances in treatment. Few studies have examined why advanced-stage disease is diagnosed in 40% of patients with OCSCC nationally.
objectiveTo characterize the diagnostic pathway of OCSCC in an integrated health care system.
designRetrospective study of patients with OCSCC (2007-2010).
main outcome measuresReferral patterns and demographic, clinical, and tumor characteristics associated with time to diagnosis (diagnostic interval).
resultsOf 247 patients, 167 (68%) had early-stage (I/II) disease, 86 (35%) were referred by dentists, and 70 (28%) had a history of premalignancy. The median time (interquartile range) from symptom onset to care sought from a primary care physician (patient interval), from primary care physician to otolaryngologist, and from otolaryngologist to diagnosis was 8.6 (4.0-25.8), 1.0 (0.6-3.1), 0.0 (0.0-3.0) weeks, respectively. These intervals did not differ by demographic characteristics, clinical factors, or tumor stage. Prolonged diagnostic intervals were observed among patients with premalignant lesions.
conclusionThe patient interval was the largest component of the total diagnostic interval. The subsequent professional workup proceeded relatively efficiently. Prolonged diagnostic interval in patients with premalignant lesions may reflect the natural history of malignant transformation rather than a delay in diagnosis. However, nearly one-fourth of these cases were diagnosed at an advanced stage; closer surveillance may represent an opportunity for diagnosis at an earlier stage. Surveillance for premalignant lesions and facilitating referrals from dentists may expedite the diagnosis and treatment of OCSCC. Further investigation is warranted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.