Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39661278›Full record

ArticleDigestive diseases and sciences2025

Prevalence and Outcomes of Emergency Presentations of Colorectal Cancer in Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Natalia Khalaf, Basim Ali, Andrew J Zimolzak, Yan Liu, Jennifer R Kramer, Hashem B El-Serag, Fasiha Kanwal, Hardeep Singh

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Article in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

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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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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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.

Natalia KhalafCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. natalia.khalaf@bcm.edu.
Basim AliSection of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Andrew J ZimolzakCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Yan LiuCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Jennifer R KramerCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Hashem B El-SeragSection of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Fasiha KanwalCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Hardeep SinghCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (IQuESt), Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd.152, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.

Funding

Diagnostic Safety Center for Advancing E-triggers and Rapid Feedback Implementation (DISCOVERI)R18HS029347 · AHRQ · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI SINGH, HARDEEP · 2022 to 2025
$4.0M
AHRQ HHS R18 HS029347Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation GBMF11505Health Services Research and Development 1 IK2 HX003346-01A2Houston Veterans Administration (VA) Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety CIN13-413HSRD VA IK2 HX003346Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center P30DK056338
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses are frequently made through emergency presentations (EPs), a new cancer diagnosis following an emergency care episode or unplanned inpatient admission. The extent and implications of EPs are not well known in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, where robust CRC screening protocols exist. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the route of CRC diagnosis also remains unclear.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of all incident CRC cases diagnosed nationally in the VA health care system from 2017 to 2021. We applied a previously validated algorithm to identify CRC EPs and used multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models to examine the associations between EPs and CRC stage, treatment, and mortality.

resultsWe identified 9,096 patients with CRC, 28.1% of whom had EPs, with the proportion of EPs increasing over the study period from 26.4% in 2017-2019 to 31.4% in 2020-2021. Patients with EPs were more likely to have advanced stage disease (adjusted OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.53-1.88) and less likely to receive cancer treatment (adjusted OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.56-0.75) than patients without EPs. Patients with EPs also had significantly higher mortality risk (adjusted HR 1.70; 95% CI 1.56-1.84).

conclusionIn a large cohort of patients diagnosed with CRC, we found EPs to be common and independently associated with worse cancer outcomes. EPs also increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions are needed to reduce potentially avoidable EPs and improve outcomes of patients with CRC diagnosis.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsCOVID-19Emergency Service, HospitalAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsVeteransColorectal cancerEmergency cancer diagnosisEmergency presentationEpidemiologyHealth servicesSurvival

Identifiers

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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.