Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34463223›Full record

Observational studyScandinavian journal of primary health care2021

Diagnostic workup of cancer in patients with new-onset anaemia: a Danish cohort study in general practice.

Astrid Boennelykke, Henry Jensen, Alina Zalounina Falborg, Lene Sofie Granfeldt Østgård, Anette Tarp Hansen, Kaj Sparle Christensen, Peter Vedsted

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Scandinavian journal of primary health care, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 29% 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.

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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Observational
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

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Astrid BoennelykkeResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Henry JensenResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Alina Zalounina FalborgResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Lene Sofie Granfeldt ØstgårdDepartment of Haematology, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
Anette Tarp HansenDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens, Aarhus N, Denmark.
Kaj Sparle ChristensenResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Peter VedstedResearch Unit for General Practice, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Aarhus University · DKAalborg University Hospital · DKAarhus University Hospital · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnaemia is associated with adverse outcomes, including increased morbidity and all-cause mortality. Diagnostic workup of patients with anaemia is essential to detect underlying disease, especially undiagnosed malignancy.

objectiveTo describe the cancer-relevant diagnostic workup in patients with new-onset anaemia detected in general practice. An additional aim was to analyse associations between patient characteristics and the diagnostic workup.

designObservational population-based cohort study using electronic laboratory and register data.

settingDanish general practice. SUBJECTS: Patients aged 40-90 years with new-onset anaemia (no anaemia in the preceding 15 months) detected in general practice. Patients were identified in Danish laboratory information systems and nationwide registries in 2014-2018.

main outcome measuresWe measured the proportion of patients receiving predefined diagnostic investigations, that is, cancer patient pathway, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, computerised tomography (CT) scan, faecal test for haemoglobin, and bone marrow examination within three months of the anaemia index date.

resultsWe included 59,993 patients, and around half of the patients with 'iron deficiency anaemia', 'anaemia of inflammation', or 'combined inflammatory iron deficiency anaemia' had no cancer-relevant diagnostic investigations performed. Patients aged 60-79 years and patients with severe anaemia were more likely to have investigations performed, while patients with comorbidity were less likely to have investigations performed.

conclusionAround half of the patients with anaemia subtypes that may indicate underlying cancer had no cancer-relevant diagnostic investigations performed. This may represent missed diagnostic opportunities. Future interventions are needed to improve the diagnostic workup of cancer in patients with anaemia, for example, laboratory alert systems and clinical decision support.KEY POINTSThe general practitioners are often the first to detect anaemia and its underlying disease (e.g. undiagnosed malignancy).Large-scale studies are needed on the diagnostic workup of patients with anaemia in general practice in relation to an underlying malignancy.This study shows that the majority of patients with anaemia had no cancer-relevant diagnostic investigations performed, which may cause diagnostic delay.Interventions seems needed to improve the diagnostic workup of cancer in these patients to ensure timely diagnosis.

Indexed as

AnemiaGeneral PracticeNeoplasmsCohort StudiesDelayed DiagnosisDenmarkHumansIron DeficienciesAnaemiacohort studiesDenmarkearly detection of cancergeneral practiceprimary health care

Identifiers

PMID34463223
PMCPMC8725890
OpenAlexW3196383808

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.