Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37123723›Full record

ArticleCureus2023

Two-Week Wait Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Pathway: A Single Tertiary Centre Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Tareq Al Saoudi, Suchita Bahri, Farah Khasawneh, Neil Bhardwaj, Giuseppe Garcea

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

5 authors.

Tareq Al SaoudiDepartment of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Leicester, GBR.
Suchita BahriDepartment of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Leicester, GBR.
Farah KhasawnehDepartment of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Leicester, GBR.
Neil BhardwajDepartment of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Leicester, GBR.
Giuseppe GarceaDepartment of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, Leicester, GBR.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis article investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the two-week wait referral pathway at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The conversion rate of these referrals was also explored as an indicator of the appropriateness of referrals from primary care.

methodsTwo-week wait referrals to the Cancer Centre of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust from 2018 to 2020 were collected for upper gastrointestinal (UGI), lower gastrointestinal (LGI), and hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery. The confirmed cancer cases out of these referrals were also recorded. Additionally, the outcomes of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings for all patients discussed in June 2018, 2019, and 2020 were collected, and their staging and treatment data were examined.

resultsThe number of two-week referrals decreased in 2020 compared to the previous two years across the three specialities. This was more pronounced in April, with a reduction of over 50%. The conversion rate of these referrals increased in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019 among all three specialities. The increase in conversion rate was statistically significant for LGI referrals (2018 vs 2020 p = 0.0056; 2019 vs 2020 p = 0.0005). There was no significant difference in the MDT outcome across the three specialities.

conclusionTwo-week wait remains a cornerstone pathway in the management of patients with suspected cancer in the National Health Service. The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have reduced inappropriate referrals, as evidenced by the increased conversion rate. This did not appear to negatively impact tumour staging and outcomes for those patients who were referred on the pathway.

Indexed as

covid-19general practicegi cancersurgical oncologytwo week wait pathway

Identifiers

PMID37123723
PMCPMC10147491

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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.