Time to diagnosis of symptomatic gastric and oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands: Where is the room for improvement?
Age Factors
Aged
Delayed Diagnosis
/ prevention & control
Early Detection of Cancer
/ statistics & numerical data
Electronic Health Records
/ statistics & numerical data
Esophageal Neoplasms
/ diagnosis
Female
Health Education
/ organization & administration
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Staging
Netherlands
Primary Health Care
/ organization & administration
Quality Improvement
Referral and Consultation
/ organization & administration
Registries
/ statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
Stomach Neoplasms
/ diagnosis
Time Factors
Upper gastrointestinal cancer
delay
diagnostic pathway
duration
gastric cancer
general practice
oesophageal cancer
primary care
Journal
United European gastroenterology journal
ISSN: 2050-6414
Titre abrégé: United European Gastroenterol J
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101606807
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
06 2020
06 2020
Historique:
pubmed:
7
4
2020
medline:
29
6
2021
entrez:
7
4
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
An efficient diagnostic pathway and early stage diagnosis for cancer patients is widely pursued. This study aims to chart the duration of the diagnostic pathway for patients with symptomatic oesophageal and gastric cancer, to identify factors associated with long duration and to assess the association of duration with tumour stage at diagnosis. This was a retrospective cohort study, using electronic health records of six routine primary care databases covering about 640,000 patients, partly linked to the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Symptomatic patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer (2010-2015) that presented in primary care were included. Duration of four diagnostic intervals was determined: patient interval; first symptoms to primary care consultation, primary care interval; consultation to referral, secondary care interval; referral to diagnosis, and the diagnostic interval; consultation to diagnosis. Characteristics associated with 'long duration' (≥P75 duration) were assessed using log-binomial regression. Median durations were stratified for tumour stages. Among 312 symptomatic patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer, median durations were: patient interval: 29 days (interquartile interval 15-73), primary care interval: 12 days (interquartile interval 1-43), secondary care interval: 13 days (interquartile interval 6-29) and diagnostic interval: 31 days (11-74). Patient interval duration was comparable for patients with and without alarm symptoms. Absence of cancer-specific alarm symptoms was associated with 'long duration' of primary care interval and secondary care interval: relative risk 5.0 (95% confidence interval 2.7-9.1) and 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3-3.7), respectively. Median diagnostic interval duration for local stage disease was 51 days (interquartile interval 13-135) versus 27 days (interquartile interval 11-71) for advanced stage ( In the diagnostic pathway of upper gastrointestinal cancers, the longest interval is the patient interval. Reducing time to diagnosis may be achieved by improving patients' awareness of alarm symptoms and by diagnostic strategies which better identify cancer patients despite low suspicion.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
An efficient diagnostic pathway and early stage diagnosis for cancer patients is widely pursued. This study aims to chart the duration of the diagnostic pathway for patients with symptomatic oesophageal and gastric cancer, to identify factors associated with long duration and to assess the association of duration with tumour stage at diagnosis.
METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study, using electronic health records of six routine primary care databases covering about 640,000 patients, partly linked to the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Symptomatic patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer (2010-2015) that presented in primary care were included. Duration of four diagnostic intervals was determined: patient interval; first symptoms to primary care consultation, primary care interval; consultation to referral, secondary care interval; referral to diagnosis, and the diagnostic interval; consultation to diagnosis. Characteristics associated with 'long duration' (≥P75 duration) were assessed using log-binomial regression. Median durations were stratified for tumour stages.
RESULTS
Among 312 symptomatic patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer, median durations were: patient interval: 29 days (interquartile interval 15-73), primary care interval: 12 days (interquartile interval 1-43), secondary care interval: 13 days (interquartile interval 6-29) and diagnostic interval: 31 days (11-74). Patient interval duration was comparable for patients with and without alarm symptoms. Absence of cancer-specific alarm symptoms was associated with 'long duration' of primary care interval and secondary care interval: relative risk 5.0 (95% confidence interval 2.7-9.1) and 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3-3.7), respectively. Median diagnostic interval duration for local stage disease was 51 days (interquartile interval 13-135) versus 27 days (interquartile interval 11-71) for advanced stage (
CONCLUSION
In the diagnostic pathway of upper gastrointestinal cancers, the longest interval is the patient interval. Reducing time to diagnosis may be achieved by improving patients' awareness of alarm symptoms and by diagnostic strategies which better identify cancer patients despite low suspicion.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32250202
doi: 10.1177/2050640620917804
pmc: PMC7268938
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
607-620Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
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