ArticleBMC family practice2021
A steep increase in healthcare seeking behaviour in the last months before colorectal cancer diagnosis.
Article in BMC family practice, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Specialized healthcare diagnostic events within one year preceding colorectal cancer diagnosis.Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden) · 2026Article
- ISM2 as a prognostic biomarker and mediator of immune infiltration in colorectal cancer: evidence from bioinformatics and experimental analysis.Journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2025Article
- Exploring colorectal cancer patients' diagnostic pathways and general practitioners' assessment of the diagnostic processes: a Danish survey study.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2025Article
- The Prediagnostic General Practitioners' Pathway of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Patients: A Real-World Data Study.Cancers · 2025Article
- Serum Protein Profiling as theranostic biomarkers for Left- and Right-Sided Colon Cancer using LuminexCancer biomarkers : section A of Disease markers · 2025Article
- Trends in primary care blood tests prior to lung and colorectal cancer diagnosis-A retrospective cohort study using linked Australian data.Cancer medicine · 2024Article
- Electronic safety-netting tool features considered important by UK general practice staff: an interview and Delphi consensus study.BJGP open · 2023Article
- Completeness and Representativeness of the PHARMO General Practitioner (GP) Data: A Comparison with National Statistics.Clinical epidemiology · 2023Article
- Does changing healthcare use signal opportunities for earlier detection of cancer? A review of studies using information from electronic patient records.Cancer epidemiology · 2022Review
- The Utility of Serum Vasorin Levels as a Novel Potential Biomarker for Early Detection of Colon Cancer.Cureus · 2022Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundTimely recognition of colorectal cancer related symptoms is essential to reduce time to diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the primary healthcare use preceding a colorectal cancer diagnosis.
methodsFrom a cohort of linked cancer and primary care data, patients diagnosed with primary colorectal cancer in the period 2007-2014 were selected and matched to cancer-free controls on gender, birth year, GP practice and follow-up period. Primary healthcare use among colorectal cancer cases before diagnosis was compared with matched cancer-free controls. Mean monthly number of GP consultations and newly prescribed medication was assessed in the year before index date (diagnosis date for cases). Results were stratified by colorectal cancer site: proximal colon cancer, distal colon cancer and rectal cancer.
resultsA total of 6,087 colorectal cancer cases could be matched to four cancer-free controls (N = 24,348). While mean monthly number of GP consultation were stable through the year among cancer-free controls, a statistical significant increase was seen among colorectal cancer cases in the last 4-8 months before diagnosis. Proximal colon cancer cases showed the longest time interval of increased mean monthly number of GP consultations. This increase was largely driven by a consultation for malignant neoplasm colon/rectum. The number patients receiving a newly prescribed medication was stable around 120 per 1,000 persons per month until 8 months before index date for proximal colon cancer cases, 4 months before index date for distal colon cancer cases and 3 months for rectal cancer cases. This increase was mainly driven by the prescription of laxatives drugs.
conclusionAn increase in the healthcare seeking behaviour of colorectal cancer patients prior to diagnosis was seen. The longest period of increased GP consultations and newly prescribed medication was seen among patients diagnosed with proximal colon cancer. This can be explained by the difficultly to diagnose proximal colon cancer given the more subtle signs compared to distal colon cancer and rectal cancer. Therefore, faster diagnosis for this specific tumour subtype may only be possible when clear clinical signs and symptoms are present.
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