Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40079691›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of cancer2025

Factors associated with diagnostic and treatment intervals in colorectal cancer: A linked data study.

Allison Drosdowsky, Karen E Lamb, Luc Te Marvelde, Peter Gibbs, Catherine Dunn, Ian Faragher, Ian Jones, Maarten J IJzerman, Jon D Emery

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of cancer, 2025. 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
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Variations in the investigation of colorectal cancer-related symptoms in Australian primary care: a retrospective cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026
    Article
  4. 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

9 authors.

Allison DrosdowskyDepartment of General Practice and Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5346-3277
Karen E LambMelbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Luc Te MarveldeVictorian Cancer Registry, Melbourne, Australia.
Peter GibbsThe Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.
Catherine DunnThe Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia.
Ian FaragherWestern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
Ian JonesDepartment of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Maarten J IJzermanMelbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Jon D EmeryDepartment of General Practice and Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council APP1195302
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This research aimed to assess the length of intervals before diagnosis and treatment for colorectal cancer in Australia using linked datasets, and to determine any factors associated with interval length. A colorectal cancer clinical registry was linked to general practice electronic medical record data and routinely collected hospital referral datasets to determine the length of four key intervals in the time before first treatment. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess associations between individual characteristics (sociodemographic variables such as age and sex, and disease characteristics such as cancer subtype and treatment approach) and the length of each interval. Sample sizes available for analysis varied by interval, ranging from 99 to 9359. The median interval length ranged from 21 (IQR 5-38) days for the time between diagnosis and treatment to 63 (IQR 24-218) days for the time between first presentation and diagnosis. Overall, few measured characteristics were associated with the lengths of any of the intervals. Of note, shorter diagnostic intervals were associated with presenting to the general practitioner with alarm symptoms, and people proceeding to surgery as initial treatment had shorter times to treatment than any other treatment modality. Given disease and medical system factors were associated with interval length, broad improvements to the overall efficient functioning of the healthcare system are likely to improve timeliness. More targeted interventions could focus on processes at the transitions between different levels of the healthcare system and implementing recommended maximum lengths of intervals along the diagnostic and treatment pathway.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsTime-to-TreatmentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaElectronic Health RecordsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsRegistriesTime Factorscancerdiagnostic intervalsearly diagnosishealth system policytreatment intervals

Identifiers

PMID40079691
PMCPMC12178107

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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.