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Munday HDB, Whitley GA. Sex differences in the pre-hospital ambulance delay, assessment and treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome: a rapid evidence review. Br Paramed J 2024; 8:21-29. [PMID: 38445111 PMCID: PMC10910288 DOI: 10.29045/14784726.2024.3.8.4.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Chest pain is a frequent symptom suffered by adult patients attended by ambulance. Evidence suggests female patients may suffer different symptoms to their male counterparts, potentiating differences in pre-hospital time delays, assessment and treatment. Objective To explore the sex differences in the pre-hospital ambulance delay, assessment and treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods A rapid evidence review was conducted following the Cochrane rapid review guidelines. MEDLINE and CINAHL Complete were searched via EBSCOhost on 2 February 2023, and reference lists of included studies and reviews were screened. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies was used to perform critical appraisal, and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results From 216 articles screened, nine were included, representing over 3.1 million patients from five different countries. Female patients were more likely to suffer delays in time to first electrocardiogram (ECG) and delays in transport time to the emergency department by ambulance. Female patients were also less likely to receive an ECG, aspirin, glyceryl trinitrate and other analgesics. Conclusion There are sex disparities in the pre-hospital ambulance delay, assessment and treatment of patients with ACS. Future research is urgently needed to fully understand the reasons for these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory Adam Whitley
- University of Lincoln; East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2586-6815
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2
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Song K, Shrestha R, Delaney H, Vijjhalwar R, Turner A, Sanchez M, Javaid MK. Diagnostic journey for individuals with fibrous dysplasia / McCune albright syndrome (FD/MAS). Orphanet J Rare Dis 2024; 19:50. [PMID: 38326833 PMCID: PMC10851567 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-024-03036-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing delayed diagnosis is a significant healthcare priority for individuals with rare diseases. Fibrous Dysplasia/ McCune Albright Syndrome (FD/MAS) is a rare bone disease caused by somatic activation mutations of NASA. FD/MAS has a broad clinical phenotype reflecting variable involvement of bone, endocrine and other tissues, distribution and severity. The variable phenotype is likely to prolong the diagnostic journey for patients further. AIM To describe the time from symptom onset to final diagnosis in individuals living with FDMAS. METHODS We used the UK-based RUDY research database ( www.rudystudy.org ), where patients self-report their diagnosis of FD/MAS. Participants are invited to complete the diagnostic journey based on the EPIRARE criteria. RESULTS 51 individuals diagnosed with FD/MAS were included in this analysis. Among them, 70% were female, and the median age was 51.0 years (IQR 34.5-57.5]. 12 (35%) individuals reported McCune Albright Syndrome, 11 (21.6%) craniofacial and 11(21.6%) for each of poly- and mono-ostotic FD and 6 (11.8%) did not know their type of FD/MAS. Pain was the commonest first symptom (58.8%), and 47.1% received another diagnosis before the diagnosis of FD/MAS. The median time to final diagnosis from the first symptom was two years with a wide IQR (1,18) and range (0-59 years). Only 12 (23.5%) of individuals were diagnosed within 12 months of their first symptoms. The type of FD/MAS was not associated with the reported time to diagnosis. Significant independent predictors of longer time to final diagnosis included older current age, younger age at first symptom and diagnosis after 2010. CONCLUSION Individuals with FDMAS have a variable time to diagnosis that can span decades. This study highlights the need for further research on how to improve diagnostic pathways within Orthopaedic and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)/Maxillofacial services. Our data provides a baseline to assess the impact of novel NHS diagnostic networks on reducing the diagnostic odyssey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyang Song
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Headley Way, OX3 9DU, Oxford, USA.
| | | | | | - Rohit Vijjhalwar
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Headley Way, OX3 9DU, Oxford, USA
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3
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Barr E, Popkin R, Roodzant E, Jaworski B, Temkin SM. Gender as a social and structural variable: research perspectives from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Transl Behav Med 2024; 14:13-22. [PMID: 37074158 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender is a social and structural variable that encompasses multiple domains, each of which influences health: gender identity and expression, gender roles and norms, gendered power relations, and gender equality and equity. As such, gender has far-reaching impacts on health. Additional research is needed to continue delineating and untangling the effects of gender from the effects of sex and other biological variables. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) vision for women's health is a world in which the influence of sex and/or gender are integrated into the health research enterprise. However, much of the NIH-supported research on gender and health has, to date, been limited to a small number of conditions (e.g., HIV, mental health, pregnancy) and locations (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa; India). Opportunities exist to support transdisciplinary knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary knowledge building by advancing health-related social science research that incorporates best practices from disciplines that have well-established methods, theories, and frameworks for examining the health impacts of gender and other social, cultural, and structural variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Barr
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ronna Popkin
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Population Dynamics Branch, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erik Roodzant
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, USA
| | - Beth Jaworski
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, USA
- Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, USA
| | - Sarah M Temkin
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, USA
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Xu X, Chen L, Nunez-Smith M, Clark M, Ferris JS, Hershman DL, Wright JD. Black-White differences in uterine cancer symptomatology and stage at diagnosis. Gynecol Oncol 2024; 180:118-125. [PMID: 38091770 PMCID: PMC10922746 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine whether uterine cancer symptoms differ between Black and White patients and how this may influence their stage at diagnosis. METHODS Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database, we identified 2328 Black and 21,774 White patients with uterine cancer in 2008-2017. Their symptoms in the 18 months before diagnosis were categorized as postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) alone, PMB together with other symptoms (e.g., abdominal/pelvic pain, bloating), non-PMB symptoms alone, or no symptoms. Stage at diagnosis was dichotomized as advanced (i.e., regional/distant) versus localized. The association between race and stage was analyzed using regression models incrementally adjusting for symptoms and other patient characteristics. RESULTS A larger proportion of Black than White patients experienced PMB together with other symptoms (63.1% versus 58.0%) or experienced non-PMB symptoms alone (13.1% versus 9.4%) (p < 0.001). Black patients had a higher risk of advanced-stage diagnosis than White patients (45.0% versus 30.3%, unadjusted RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.44-1.59). Adjusting for Black-White differences in symptoms attenuated the RR to 1.46 (95% CI: 1.39-1.53). Compared to PMB symptoms alone, having additional non-PMB symptoms (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15-1.26) and having non-PMB symptoms alone (RR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.88-2.10) were associated with increased risk of advanced-stage diagnosis. Further adjusting for histology and other patient characteristics reduced Black-White disparity in advanced-stage diagnosis to 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03-1.14) but symptoms remained significantly associated with stage at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Having non-PMB symptoms was associated with more advanced stage at diagnosis. Non-PMB symptoms were more common among Black than White patients, which might hinder symptom recognition/evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America.
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Marcella Nunez-Smith
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Mitchell Clark
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Jennifer S Ferris
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America; Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Dawn L Hershman
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jason D Wright
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
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Hagberg KW, Vasilakis-Scaramozza C, Persson R, Neasham D, Kafatos G, Jick S. Presence of Breast Cancer Information Recorded in United Kingdom Primary Care Databases: Comparison of CPRD Aurum and CPRD GOLD (Companion Paper 1). Clin Epidemiol 2023; 15:1183-1192. [PMID: 38126005 PMCID: PMC10731985 DOI: 10.2147/clep.s434795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the presence of data elements related to diagnosis and treatment of malignant breast cancer in CPRD Aurum compared to those in the previously validated CPRD GOLD. Methods Females in CPRD Aurum or GOLD with a first-time code for malignant breast cancer, mastectomy, or ≥1 prescription for tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (2004-2019) were selected. We compared the presence of the codes for breast cancer diagnosis, surgeries (mastectomy, lumpectomy), tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor prescriptions, radiation, chemotherapy, and supporting clinical codes (suspected breast cancer, lump symptoms, biopsy, lumpectomy, cancer care, referral/visit to specialist, palliative care). Age standardized incidence rates of breast cancer diagnosis in CPRD Aurum and GOLD were calculated. Results There were 131,936 eligible patients in CPRD Aurum and 69,102 patients in GOLD. A similar proportion of patients in CPRD Aurum and GOLD had codes for breast cancer diagnosis, mastectomy, drug prescriptions, lump, biopsy, lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and cancer and palliative care coded in their electronic record during follow-up. However, suspected breast cancer, radiation, and referral/visits to specialists were coded more frequently in patients in CPRD Aurum compared to GOLD. Age-standardized incidence rates were similar for CPRD Aurum and GOLD. Conclusion Overall, there was consistency between data elements related to malignant breast cancer recorded in CPRD Aurum and GOLD, particularly for the most informative clinical details. These findings provide reassurance that breast cancer information recorded in CPRD Aurum is generally comparable to that recorded in the previously validated CPRD GOLD and support the use of CPRD Aurum for breast cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebecca Persson
- Epidemiology, Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, Lexington, MA, USA
| | - David Neasham
- Center for Observational Research, Amgen Ltd, Uxbridge, UK
| | - George Kafatos
- Center for Observational Research, Amgen Ltd, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Susan Jick
- Epidemiology, Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, Lexington, MA, USA
- Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Ginsburg O, Vanderpuye V, Beddoe AM, Bhoo-Pathy N, Bray F, Caduff C, Florez N, Fadhil I, Hammad N, Heidari S, Kataria I, Kumar S, Liebermann E, Moodley J, Mutebi M, Mukherji D, Nugent R, So WKW, Soto-Perez-de-Celis E, Unger-Saldaña K, Allman G, Bhimani J, Bourlon MT, Eala MAB, Hovmand PS, Kong YC, Menon S, Taylor CD, Soerjomataram I. Women, power, and cancer: a Lancet Commission. Lancet 2023; 402:2113-2166. [PMID: 37774725 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01701-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ophira Ginsburg
- Centre for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Freddie Bray
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Carlo Caduff
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Narjust Florez
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Nazik Hammad
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Oncology, Queens University, Kingston, Canada
| | - Shirin Heidari
- GENDRO, Geneva, Switzerland; Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ishu Kataria
- Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases, RTI International, New Delhi, India
| | - Somesh Kumar
- Jhpiego India, Johns Hopkins University Affiliate, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Erica Liebermann
- University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jennifer Moodley
- Cancer Research Initiative, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, and SAMRC Gynaecology Cancer Research Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Miriam Mutebi
- Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Deborah Mukherji
- Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Clemenceau Medical Center Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rachel Nugent
- Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases, RTI International, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Winnie K W So
- The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis
- Department of Geriatrics, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Gavin Allman
- Center for Global Noncommunicable Diseases, RTI International, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jenna Bhimani
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - María T Bourlon
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, National Institute of Medical Science and Nutrition Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Michelle A B Eala
- College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Yek-Ching Kong
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sonia Menon
- Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group, Copenhagen Trial Unit, Centre for Clinical Intervention Research, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Vijjhalwar R, Song K, Shrestha R, Bowcock S, Sanchez-Santos MT, Ramasamy K, Javaid MK. Patient-reported symptoms and diagnostic journey in Multiple Myeloma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1282569. [PMID: 38098501 PMCID: PMC10720586 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1282569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Late presentation of multiple myeloma (MM) heightens the risk of complication risks, including end-organ damage. This study aimed to: 1) detail the diagnostic journey of MM patients, encompassing symptoms, initial diagnoses, and healthcare professionals met; 2) establish the median duration from symptom onset to MM diagnosis; and 3) examine factors linked to timely MM diagnosis within 12 weeks. Methods A total of 300 adults self-reporting MM were analysed from the Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases cohort Study (RUDY). The RUDY study is a web-based platform, where participants provide dynamic consent and self-report their MM diagnosis and information about their diagnostic journey. This includes the estimated date of initial potential first symptoms, descriptions of these symptoms, the healthcare professionals they consulted, and other diagnoses received before the MM diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, combinatorial analyses and logistic regression analyses were used to describe and examine the diagnostic journey of individuals with MM. Results Overall, 52% of the participants reported other diagnoses before MM diagnosis, with musculoskeletal disorders (47.8%), such as osteoporosis, costochondritis, or muscle strains, being the most common. The most prevalent initial reported symptom was back pain/vertebral fractures (47%), followed by chest/shoulder pain, including rib pain and fractures (20%), and fatigue/tiredness (19.7%). 40% of participants were diagnosed by direct referral from primary care to haematology without seeing other healthcare professionals whilst 60% consulted additional specialists before diagnosis. The median time from symptom onset to MM diagnosis was 4 months (IQR 2-10 months, range 0-172). Seeing an Allied Healthcare Professional such as a physiotherapist, chiropractor or an osteopath (OR = 0.25, 95% CI [0.12, 0.47], p <0.001), experiencing infection symptoms (OR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.13, 0.76], p = 0.013), and having chest or shoulder pain (OR = 0.45, 95% CI [0.23, 0.86], p = 0.020) were associated with a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with MM within 12 weeks. Older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.02, 1.07], p = 0.001) was associated with a higher likelihood of diagnosis within 12 weeks. Discussion Developing resources for allied health professionals may improve early recognition of MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Vijjhalwar
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kaiyang Song
- Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roshi Shrestha
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stella Bowcock
- Department of Haematology, King's College Hospital NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria T. Sanchez-Santos
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Karthik Ramasamy
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Oxford University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Kassim Javaid
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Whitfield E, White B, Denaxas S, Barclay ME, Renzi C, Lyratzopoulos G. A taxonomy of early diagnosis research to guide study design and funding prioritisation. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1527-1534. [PMID: 37794179 PMCID: PMC10645731 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02450-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Researchers and research funders aiming to improve diagnosis seek to identify if, when, where, and how earlier diagnosis is possible. This has led to the propagation of research studies using a wide range of methodologies and data sources to explore diagnostic processes. Many such studies use electronic health record data and focus on cancer diagnosis. Based on this literature, we propose a taxonomy to guide the design and support the synthesis of early diagnosis research, focusing on five key questions: Do healthcare use patterns suggest earlier diagnosis could be possible? How does the diagnostic process begin? How do patients progress from presentation to diagnosis? How long does the diagnostic process take? Could anything have been done differently to reach the correct diagnosis sooner? We define families of diagnostic research study designs addressing each of these questions and appraise their unique or complementary contributions and limitations. We identify three further questions on relationships between the families and their relevance for examining patient group inequalities, supported with examples from the cancer literature. Although exemplified through cancer as a disease model, we recognise the framework is also applicable to non-neoplastic disease. The proposed framework can guide future study design and research funding prioritisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Whitfield
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL (University College London), 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
- Institute of Health Informatics, UCL, London, UK.
| | - Becky White
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL (University College London), 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - Spiros Denaxas
- Institute of Health Informatics, UCL, London, UK
- British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, London, UK
- Health Data Research UK, London, UK
- UCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Matthew E Barclay
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL (University College London), 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - Cristina Renzi
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL (University College London), 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes), Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL (University College London), 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
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Polevikov S. Advancing AI in healthcare: A comprehensive review of best practices. Clin Chim Acta 2023; 548:117519. [PMID: 37595864 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2023.117519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are powerful tools shaping the healthcare sector. This review considers twelve key aspects of AI in clinical practice: 1) Ethical AI; 2) Explainable AI; 3) Health Equity and Bias in AI; 4) Sponsorship Bias; 5) Data Privacy; 6) Genomics and Privacy; 7) Insufficient Sample Size and Self-Serving Bias; 8) Bridging the Gap Between Training Datasets and Real-World Scenarios; 9) Open Source and Collaborative Development; 10) Dataset Bias and Synthetic Data; 11) Measurement Bias; 12) Reproducibility in AI Research. These categories represent both the challenges and opportunities of AI implementation in healthcare. While AI holds significant potential for improving patient care, it also presents risks and challenges, such as ensuring privacy, combating bias, and maintaining transparency and ethics. The review underscores the necessity of developing comprehensive best practices for healthcare organizations and fostering a diverse dialogue involving data scientists, clinicians, patient advocates, ethicists, economists, and policymakers. We are at the precipice of significant transformation in healthcare powered by AI. By continuing to reassess and refine our approach, we can ensure that AI is implemented responsibly and ethically, maximizing its benefit to patient care and public health.
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Arai M, Tsuno T, Konishi H, Nishiyama K, Terauchi Y, Inoue R, Shirakawa J. A disproportionality analysis of the adverse effect profiles of methimazole and propylthiouracil in patients with hyperthyroidism using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database. Thyroid 2023. [PMID: 37130038 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2023.0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antithyroid drugs (ATDs) are frequently used to achieve euthyroidism in patients with hyperthyroidism. ATDs cause characteristic common and rare adverse events; however, comprehensive comparisons between methimazole (MMI) and propylthiouracil (PTU) in terms of adverse events are limited. METHODS In this study, we thoroughly explored adverse events in association with MMI and PTU use with a disproportionality analysis using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database and evaluated the prevalence of MMI and PTU prescriptions using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB) Open Data Japan. We analyzed 3271 cases of MMI use and 1029 cases of PTU use with respect to 9789 preferred terms (PTs) for adverse events registered in the JADER database by calculating and comparing reporting odds ratios (RORs). RESULTS We found that 8 PTs, including agranulocytosis (p < 0.0001, 4.01-fold), aplasia cutis congenita (p < 0.0001, 123.22-fold), and exomphalos (p = 0.0002, 22.17-fold), demonstrated significantly higher RORs (more than 4-fold) for MMI use than for PTU use. Nineteen PTs, including anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (p < 0.0001, 29.84), rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (p < 0.0001, 6.44), and pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage (p < 0.0001, 7.77), had RORs for PTU use more than four times those for MMI use. NDB Open Data Japan showed more frequent PTU prescriptions than MMI prescriptions for women of reproductive age. CONCLUSIONS This large-scale study confirmed that a variety of congenital malformations were identified as having significantly high RORs for MMI use, while diseases related to ANCA-associated vasculitis were specific to PTU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Arai
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Takahiro Tsuno
- Gunma University, 12925, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Hiromi Konishi
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Kuniyuki Nishiyama
- Gunma University, 12925, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Yasuo Terauchi
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Ryota Inoue
- Gunma University, 12925, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
| | - Jun Shirakawa
- Gunma University, 12925, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, 26438, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan;
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11
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Keenan BP, Barr E, Gleeson E, Greenberg CC, Temkin SM. Structural Sexism and Cancer Care: The Effects on the Patient and Oncologist. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2023; 43:e391516. [PMID: 37155944 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_391516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite progress toward equity within our broad social context, the domains of gender as a social, cultural, and structural variable continue to exert influence on the delivery of oncology care. Although there have been vast advances in our understanding of the biological underpinnings of cancer and significant improvements in clinical care, disparities in cancer care for all women-including cisgender, transgender, and gender diverse women-persist. Similarly, despite inclusion within the oncology physician workforce, women and gender minorities, particularly those with additional identities under-represented in medicine, still face structural barriers to clinical and academic productivity and career success. In this article, we define and discuss how structural sexism influences both the equitable care of patients with cancer and the oncology workforce and explore the overlapping challenges in both realms. Solutions toward creating environments where patients with cancer of any gender receive optimal care and all physicians can thrive are put forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget P Keenan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Elizabeth Barr
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Elizabeth Gleeson
- Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - Sarah M Temkin
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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12
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Temkin SM, Barr E, Moore H, Caviston JP, Regensteiner JG, Clayton JA. Chronic conditions in women: the development of a National Institutes of health framework. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:162. [PMID: 37024841 PMCID: PMC10077654 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02319-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rising rates of chronic conditions were cited as one of the key public health concerns in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 U.S. Senate and House of Representatives appropriations bills, where a review of current National Institutes of Health (NIH) portfolios relevant to research on women's health was requested. Chronic conditions were last defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2010. However, existing definitions of chronic conditions do not incorporate sex or gender considerations. Sex and gender influence health, yet significant knowledge gaps exist in the evidence-base for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic diseases amongst women. The presentation, prevalence, and long-term effects of chronic conditions and multimorbidity differs in women from men. A clinical framework was developed to adequately assess the NIH investment in research related to chronic conditions in women. The public health needs and NIH investment related to conditions included in the framework were measured. By available measures, research within the NIH has not mapped to the burden of chronic conditions among women. Clinical research questions and endpoints centered around women can be developed and implemented; clinical trials networks with expanded or extended eligibility criteria can be created; and data science could be used to extrapolate the effects of overlapping or multiple morbidities on the health of women. Aligning NIH research priorities to address the specific needs of women with chronic diseases is critical to addressing women's health needs from a life course perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Temkin
- Office of Research On Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Barr
- Office of Research On Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Holly Moore
- National Institute On Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juliane P Caviston
- Office of Research On Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Judith G Regensteiner
- Department of Medicine, Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Janine A Clayton
- Office of Research On Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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13
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Ansar A, Lewis V, McDonald CF, Liu C, Rahman MA. Factors influencing the timeliness of care for patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:261. [PMID: 36927788 PMCID: PMC10018894 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09154-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study explored the factors associated with timeliness of care in the healthcare seeking pathway among patients with lung cancer in Bangladesh. METHODS A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 418 patients with lung cancer through face-to-face interviews in three tertiary care hospitals. Log-rank tests were performed to test differences in the length of intervals between points in healthcare by socioeconomic characteristics and care seeking behaviours of the patients. Cox Proportional Hazard (PH) regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of the intervals after adjustment for variations in other variables. RESULTS A higher education level was associated significantly (p < 0.05) with a shorter interval between first contact with a healthcare provider (HCP) and diagnosis (median 81 days) and initiation of treatment (median 101 days). Higher monthly household income was associated significantly with a shorter time from first contact and diagnosis (median 91 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 99 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 122 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 111 days). Consulting with additional HCPs prior to diagnosis was associated significantly with longer intervals from first contact with any HCP and diagnosis (median 127 days), onset of symptom and diagnosis (median 154 days), onset of symptom and treatment (median 205 days), and first contact with any HCP to treatment (median 174 days). Consulting with informal HCPs was associated significantly with a longer time interval from symptom to treatment (median 171 days). Having more than one triggering symptom was associated significantly with a shorter interval between onset of symptoms and first contact with any HCP. CONCLUSION The predictors for timeliness of lung cancer care used in this study affected different intervals in the care seeking pathway. Higher education and income predicted shorter intervals whereas consulting informal healthcare providers and multiple providers were associated with longer intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Ansar
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Science Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia. .,Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS), Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Virginia Lewis
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Science Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia.,Australian Institute for Primary Care and Aging, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christine Faye McDonald
- Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS), Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Chaojie Liu
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Muhammad Aziz Rahman
- Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS), Melbourne, Australia.,Australian Institute for Primary Care and Aging, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.,School of Health, Federation University Australia, Berwick, Australia.,Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.,Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
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14
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Price S, Wiering B, Mounce LTA, Hamilton W, Abel G. Examining methodology to identify patterns of consulting in primary care for different groups of patients before a diagnosis of cancer: An exemplar applied to oesophagogastric cancer. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 82:102310. [PMID: 36508967 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current methods for estimating the timeliness of cancer diagnosis are not robust because dates of key defining milestones, for example first presentation, are uncertain. This is exacerbated when patients have other conditions (multimorbidity), particularly those that share symptoms with cancer. Methods independent of this uncertainty are needed for accurate estimates of the timeliness of cancer diagnosis, and to understand how multimorbidity impacts the diagnostic process. METHODS Participants were diagnosed with oesophagogastric cancer between 2010 and 2019. Controls were matched on year of birth, sex, general practice and multimorbidity burden calculated using the Cambridge Multimorbidity Score. Primary care data (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) was used to explore population-level consultation rates for up to two years before diagnosis across different multimorbidity burdens. Five approaches were compared on the timing of the consultation frequency increase, the inflection point for different multimorbidity burdens, different aggregated time-periods and sample sizes. RESULTS We included 15,410 participants, of which 13,328 (86.5 %) had a measurable multimorbidity burden. Our new maximum likelihood estimation method found evidence that the inflection point in consultation frequency varied with multimorbidity burden, from 154 days (95 %CI 131.8-176.2) before diagnosis for patients with no multimorbidity, to 126 days (108.5-143.5) for patients with the greatest multimorbidity burden. Inflection points identified using alternative methods were closer to diagnosis for up to three burden groups. Sample size reduction and changing the aggregation period resulted in inflection points closer to diagnosis, with the smallest change for the maximum likelihood method. DISCUSSION Existing methods to identify changes in consultation rates can introduce substantial bias which depends on sample size and aggregation period. The direct maximum likelihood method was less prone to this bias than other methods and offers a robust, population-level alternative for estimating the timeliness of cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Price
- Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Bianca Wiering
- Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
| | - Luke T A Mounce
- Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Willie Hamilton
- Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Gary Abel
- Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
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15
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White B, Renzi C, Barclay M, Lyratzopoulos G. Underlying cancer risk among patients with fatigue and other vague symptoms: a population-based cohort study in primary care. Br J Gen Pract 2023; 73:e75-e87. [PMID: 36702593 PMCID: PMC9888575 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp.2022.0371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Presenting to primary care with fatigue is associated with slightly increased cancer risk, although it is unknown how this varies in the presence of other 'vague' symptoms. AIM To quantify cancer risk in patients with fatigue who present with other 'vague' symptoms in the absence of 'alarm' symptoms for cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING Cohort study of patients presenting in UK primary care with new-onset fatigue during 2007-2015, using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data linked to national cancer registration data. METHOD Patients presenting with fatigue without co-occurring alarm symptoms or anaemia were identified, who were further characterised as having co-occurrence of 19 other 'vague' potential cancer symptoms. Sex- and age-specific 9-month cancer risk for each fatigue-vague symptom cohort were calculated. RESULTS Of 285 382 patients presenting with new-onset fatigue, 84% (n = 239 846) did not have co-occurring alarm symptoms or anaemia. Of these, 38% (n = 90 828) presented with ≥1 of 19 vague symptoms for cancer. Cancer risk exceeded 3% in older males with fatigue combined with any of the vague symptoms studied. The age at which risk exceeded 3% was 59 years for fatigue-weight loss, 65 years for fatigue-abdominal pain, 67 years for fatigue-constipation, and 67 years for fatigue-other upper gastrointestinal symptoms. For females, risk exceeded 3% only in older patients with fatigue-weight loss (from 65 years), fatigue-abdominal pain (from 79 years), or fatigue-abdominal bloating (from 80 years). CONCLUSION In the absence of alarm symptoms or anaemia, fatigue combined with specific vague presenting symptoms, alongside patient age and sex, can guide clinical decisions about referral for suspected cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becky White
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, UK
| | - Cristina Renzi
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, UK, and associate professor, Faculty of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Matthew Barclay
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, UK
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, UK
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16
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Hardy V, Usher-Smith J, Archer S, Barnes R, Lancaster J, Johnson M, Thompson M, Emery J, Singh H, Walter FM. Agreement between patient's description of abdominal symptoms of possible upper gastrointestinal cancer and general practitioner consultation notes: a qualitative analysis of video-recorded UK primary care consultation data. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e058766. [PMID: 36604136 PMCID: PMC9827246 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Abdominal symptoms are common in primary care but infrequently might be due to an upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer. Patients' descriptions may differ from medical terminology used by general practitioners (GPs). This may affect how information about abdominal symptoms possibly due to an UGI cancer are documented, creating potential missed opportunities for timely investigation. OBJECTIVES To explore how abdominal symptoms are communicated during primary care consultations, and identify characteristics of patients' descriptions that underpin variation in the accuracy and completeness with which they are documented in medical records. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Primary care consultation video recordings, transcripts and medical records from an existing dataset were screened for adults reporting abdominal symptoms. We conducted a qualitative content analysis to capture alignments (medical record entries matching patient verbal and non-verbal descriptions) and misalignments (symptom information omitted or differing from patient descriptions). Categories were informed by the Calgary-Cambridge guide's 'gathering information' domains and patterns in descriptions explored. RESULTS Our sample included 28 consultations (28 patients with 18 GPs): 10 categories of different clinical features of abdominal symptoms were discussed. The information GPs documented about these features commonly did not match what patients described, with misalignments more common than alignments (67 vs 43 instances, respectively). Misalignments often featured patients using vague descriptors, figurative speech, lengthy explanations and broad hand gestures. Alignments were characterised by patients using well-defined terms, succinct descriptions and precise gestures for symptoms with an exact location. Abdominal sensations reported as 'pain' were almost always documented compared with expressions of 'discomfort'. CONCLUSIONS Abdominal symptoms that are well defined or communicated as 'pain' may be more salient to GPs than those expressed vaguely or as 'discomfort'. Variable documentation of abdominal symptoms in medical records may have implications for the development of clinical decision support systems and decisions to investigate possible UGI cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Hardy
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Juliet Usher-Smith
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephanie Archer
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rebecca Barnes
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John Lancaster
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Margaret Johnson
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew Thompson
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jon Emery
- Centre for Cancer Research and General Practice and Primary Care Academic Centre, University of Melbourne Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hardeep Singh
- Houston Veterans Affairs Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fiona M Walter
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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17
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Merone L, Tsey K, Russell D, Nagle C. "I Just Want to Feel Safe Going to a Doctor": Experiences of Female Patients with Chronic Conditions in Australia. WOMEN'S HEALTH REPORTS (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2022; 3:1016-1028. [PMID: 36636320 PMCID: PMC9811844 DOI: 10.1089/whr.2022.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background The androcentric history of medicine and medical research has led to an ongoing sex and gender gap in health research and education. Sex and gender gaps in research and education may translate into real-life health inequities for women. This study aimed to explore the experiences of female patients with chronic health conditions in the Australian health system, considering existing sex and gender gaps in medicine. Methods This qualitative study used semistructured in-depth interviews with a sample of adult women with chronic conditions in Australia. Thematic analysis was undertaken, guided by Braun and Clarke. Software NVivoX64 assisted in the management of the data. Coding was performed before grouping into subthemes and central themes. To allow for potential researcher biases, the principal researcher engaged in the practice of reflexivity, including the writing of detailed notes during analysis. Results Twenty adult Australian women with chronic conditions were interviewed. Diagnoses were varied and included Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, functional neurological disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease. Four central themes emerged: diagnostic difficulties; spectrum of health care experiences; understanding medical complexity; and coping with symptoms. Conclusions Women with chronic conditions in Australia report pain, fatigue, and suffering that significantly impacts upon their daily lives. There was a shared experience of feeling that the pain and suffering of women was dismissed or not taken seriously. Many women expressed trauma because of their experiences in health care and often this led to a fear of accessing health services. The participants highlighted a need for more knowledge, understanding, and empathy from health care practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Merone
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Address correspondence to: Lea Merone, PhD, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, 1 James Cook Drive, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - Komla Tsey
- College of Arts, Society, and Education, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Darren Russell
- Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cate Nagle
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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18
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Vedsted P, Weller D, Zalounina Falborg A, Jensen H, Kalsi J, Brewster D, Lin Y, Gavin A, Barisic A, Grunfeld E, Lambe M, Malmberg M, Turner D, Harland E, Hawryluk B, Law RJ, Neal RD, White V, Bergin R, Harrison S, Menon U. Diagnostic pathways for breast cancer in 10 International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) jurisdictions: an international comparative cohort study based on questionnaire and registry data. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e059669. [PMID: 36521881 PMCID: PMC9756230 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A growing body of evidence suggests longer time between symptom onset and start of treatment affects breast cancer prognosis. To explore this association, the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 4 examined differences in breast cancer diagnostic pathways in 10 jurisdictions across Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK. SETTING Primary care in 10 jurisdictions. PARTICIPANT Data were collated from 3471 women aged >40 diagnosed for the first time with breast cancer and surveyed between 2013 and 2015. Data were supplemented by feedback from their primary care physicians (PCPs), cancer treatment specialists and available registry data. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Patient, primary care, diagnostic and treatment intervals. RESULTS Overall, 56% of women reported symptoms to primary care, with 66% first noticing lumps or breast changes. PCPs reported 77% presented with symptoms, of whom 81% were urgently referred with suspicion of cancer (ranging from 62% to 92%; Norway and Victoria). Ranges for median patient, primary care and diagnostic intervals (days) for symptomatic patients were 3-29 (Denmark and Sweden), 0-20 (seven jurisdictions and Ontario) and 8-29 (Denmark and Wales). Ranges for median treatment and total intervals (days) for all patients were 15-39 (Norway, Victoria and Manitoba) and 4-78 days (Sweden, Victoria and Ontario). The 10% longest waits ranged between 101 and 209 days (Sweden and Ontario). CONCLUSIONS Large international differences in breast cancer diagnostic pathways exist, suggesting some jurisdictions develop more effective strategies to optimise pathways and reduce time intervals. Targeted awareness interventions could also facilitate more timely diagnosis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Vedsted
- Department for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - David Weller
- General Practice, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alina Zalounina Falborg
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henry Jensen
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jatinderpal Kalsi
- Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - David Brewster
- Scottish Registry, Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yulan Lin
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Anna Gavin
- N Ireland Cancer Registry, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | | | - Eva Grunfeld
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mats Lambe
- University Hospital, Regional Cancer Centre of Central Sweden, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Malmberg
- Department of Oncology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Donna Turner
- Population Oncology, Cancer Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Harland
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Breann Hawryluk
- Patient Navigation, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Rebecca-Jane Law
- North Wales Centre for Primary Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | | | - Victoria White
- CBRC, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Deakin University Faculty of Health, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca Bergin
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Usha Menon
- Women's Cancer, University College London, London, UK
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19
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Saab MM, McCarthy M, O'Driscoll M, Sahm LJ, Leahy-Warren P, Noonan B, FitzGerald S, O'Malley M, Lyons N, Burns HE, Kennedy U, Lyng Á, Hegarty J. A systematic review of interventions to recognise, refer and diagnose patients with lung cancer symptoms. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2022; 32:42. [PMID: 36258020 PMCID: PMC9579201 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-022-00312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with lung cancer (LC) often experience delay between symptom onset and treatment. Primary healthcare professionals (HCPs) can help facilitate early diagnosis of LC through recognising early signs and symptoms and making appropriate referrals. This systematic review describes the effect of interventions aimed at helping HCPs recognise and refer individuals with symptoms suggestive of LC. Seven studies were synthesised narratively. Outcomes were categorised into: Diagnostic intervals; referral and diagnosis patterns; stage distribution at diagnosis; and time interval from diagnosis to treatment. Rapid access pathways and continuing medical education for general practitioners can help reduce LC diagnostic and treatment delay. Awareness campaigns and HCP education can help inform primary HCPs about referral pathways. However, campaigns did not significantly impact LC referral rates or reduce diagnostic intervals. Disease outcomes, such as LC stage at diagnosis, recurrence, and survival were seldom measured. Review findings highlight the need for longitudinal, powered, and controlled studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad M Saab
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Megan McCarthy
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Michelle O'Driscoll
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Laura J Sahm
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Patricia Leahy-Warren
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Brendan Noonan
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Serena FitzGerald
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Maria O'Malley
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Noreen Lyons
- Rapid Access Lung Clinic, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Heather E Burns
- National Cancer Control Programme, Health Services Executive, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Una Kennedy
- National Cancer Control Programme, Health Services Executive, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Áine Lyng
- National Cancer Control Programme, Health Services Executive, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Josephine Hegarty
- Catherine McCauley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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20
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Merone L, Tsey K, Russell D, Daltry A, Nagle C. Self-Reported Time to Diagnosis and Proportions of Rediagnosis in Female Patients with Chronic Conditions in Australia: A Cross-sectional Survey. WOMEN'S HEALTH REPORTS (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2022; 3:749-758. [PMID: 36185069 PMCID: PMC9518795 DOI: 10.1089/whr.2022.0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diagnosis of chronic conditions in women is complicated by the historical androcentricity in medical research. Sex and gender gaps in health research may translate to unequal healthcare for women. This cross-sectional survey study aimed to ascertain the median time to diagnosis, proportions of rediagnosis and time to rediagnosis for Australian women with chronic conditions. METHODS An online survey collected anonymous data from voluntary participants. Data were analyzed using Stata14. Cox Proportional Hazards model was used to analyze time to diagnosis and rediagnosis. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the significance of rediagnosis rates by diagnosis, age at diagnosis, income, employment, state of residence, disability status, and Indigenous status. RESULTS The median time from first appointment to initial diagnosis was 6 months (range 1 day-50 years) (interquartile range [IQR] 3.74 years). The median time to rediagnosis was 4 years (IQR 9) with a range of 1 day-43 years. Almost half of the women (n = 161/343, 47%) reported their primary condition being rediagnosed. From the complete responses, 40% were rediagnosed from one organic condition to another organic condition, however, 32% of women originally diagnosed with psychological, medically unexplained syndromes, or chronic pain were later rediagnosed with organic conditions. CONCLUSION Median wait times for a diagnosis for women in Australia, when factoring in high rates of rediagnosis and time to rediagnosis, was 4 years. It is important that clinicians are aware of the high rediagnosis rates in female patients with chronic conditions and understand the potential impact of systemic biases on the diagnostic process for women under their care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Merone
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Komla Tsey
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Smithfield, Australia
| | | | - Andrew Daltry
- Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns, Australia
| | - Cate Nagle
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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21
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Steinlein OK, Reithmair M, Syunyaeva Z, Sattler EC. Delayed diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome might be aggravated by gender bias. EClinicalMedicine 2022; 51:101572. [PMID: 35875814 PMCID: PMC9304907 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is a rare genetic tumor syndrome characterized by renal cell cancer, lung bullae, pneumothorax, and fibrofolliculoma. Patients with such orphan tumor disorders are at risk of not receiving a timely diagnosis. In the present, gender-sensitive study, we analyzed the delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome. METHODS Clinical data of 158 patients from 91 unrelated families were collected. FLCN mutation testing was performed in index patients and family members. FINDINGS The occurrence of the first symptom (fibrofolliculoma, pneumothorax or renal cell cancer) was rarely followed by a timely diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome and did so significantly less often in female (1.3%) compared to male (11.4%) patients (chi-square 6.83, p-value 0.009). Only 17 out of 39 renal cell cancers (7/17 female, 10/22 male patients) were promptly recognized as a symptom of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome. Patients in which renal cell cancer was initially not recognized as a symptom of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome waited 9.7 years (females SD 9.2, range 1-29) and 8.8 years (males, SD 4.1, range 2-11) for their diagnosis, respectively. Four (three female, one male) patients developed renal cell cancer twice before the genetic tumor syndrome was diagnosed. The delay between fibrofolliculoma or pneumothorax as a first symptom and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome was considerable but not significantly different between females and males (18.1/17.19 versus 16.1/18.92 years). Furthermore, 73 patients were only diagnosed due to family history (delay 15.1 years in females and 17.4 years in males). INTERPRETATION The delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome can be substantial and gender-dependent, causing considerable health risks for patients and their families. It is therefore important to create more awareness of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome and resolve gender biases in diagnostic work-up. FUNDING None declared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ortrud K. Steinlein
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Goethestr. 29, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Corresponding author at: Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Goethestraße 29, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - Marlene Reithmair
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Goethestr. 29, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Zulfiya Syunyaeva
- University of Munich, Department of Medicine V, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Charite -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elke C. Sattler
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Frauenlobstraße 9-11, 80337 Munich, Germany
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22
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Wiering B, Lyratzopoulos G, Hamilton W, Campbell J, Abel G. Concordance with urgent referral guidelines in patients presenting with any of six 'alarm' features of possible cancer: a retrospective cohort study using linked primary care records. BMJ Qual Saf 2022; 31:579-589. [PMID: 34607914 PMCID: PMC9304100 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2021-013425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical guidelines advise GPs in England which patients warrant an urgent referral for suspected cancer. This study assessed how often GPs follow the guidelines, whether certain patients are less likely to be referred, and how many patients were diagnosed with cancer within 1 year of non-referral. METHODS We used linked primary care (Clinical Practice Research Datalink), secondary care (Hospital Episode Statistics) and cancer registration data. Patients presenting with haematuria, breast lump, dysphagia, iron-deficiency anaemia, post-menopausal or rectal bleeding for the first time during 2014-2015 were included (for ages where guidelines recommend urgent referral). Logistic regression was used to investigate whether receiving a referral was associated with feature type and patient characteristics. Cancer incidence (based on recorded diagnoses in cancer registry data within 1 year of presentation) was compared between those receiving and those not receiving referrals. RESULTS 48 715 patients were included, of which 40% (n=19 670) received an urgent referral within 14 days of presentation, varying by feature from 17% (dysphagia) to 68% (breast lump). Young patients (18-24 vs 55-64 years; adjusted OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.42, p<0.001) and those with comorbidities (4 vs 0 comorbidities; adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.94, p<0.001) were less likely to receive a referral. Associations between patient characteristics and referrals differed across features: among patients presenting with anaemia, breast lump or haematuria, those with multi-morbidity, and additionally for breast lump, more deprived patients were less likely to receive a referral. Of 29 045 patients not receiving a referral, 3.6% (1047) were diagnosed with cancer within 1 year, ranging from 2.8% for rectal bleeding to 9.5% for anaemia. CONCLUSIONS Guideline recommendations for action are not followed for the majority of patients presenting with common possible cancer features. A significant number of these patients developed cancer within 1 year of their consultation, indicating scope for improvement in the diagnostic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Wiering
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes Group, Department of Behavioral Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, UK
| | - Willie Hamilton
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - John Campbell
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Gary Abel
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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23
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Effects of Tobacco Smoking on the Survivability of Patients with Multiple Cancers and Single Lung Cancer. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159179. [PMID: 35954530 PMCID: PMC9368588 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide among men and women. Tobacco smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. The aim of our study was to evaluate the survivability of patients with single lung cancer in relation to the survival time in patients with multiple neoplasms whose last neoplasm was a lung cancer. A retrospective analysis was con-ducted of data from medical histories of patients hospitalized at the Pulmonary Hospital in Olsztyn (Poland) from 2012 to 2017, with a lung cancer diagnosis as the first or subsequent cancer. The total longevity of women with diagnosed multiple cancers was found to be shorter than that of men: 67.60 years (SD: 7.77) and 69.91 years (SD: 7.97), respectively. Among the ex-smokers, the longevity of men (68.93 years) was longer than that of women (66.18 years). Survival time, counted from the diagnosis of both the first and subsequent cancer, was longer among patients with multiple cancers than among patients with single lung cancer (p = 0.000). Women’s survivability was worse than men’s in the case of multiple cancers and in the group of people who quit smoking (p = 0.037; p = 0.000). To conclude, smoking tobacco affects the survival of patients with lung cancer. Smoking cessation improves overall survival.
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24
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Short SE, Zacher M. Women's Health: Population Patterns and Social Determinants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGY 2022; 48:277-298. [PMID: 38765764 PMCID: PMC11101199 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-soc-030320-034200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Women's health, and what we know about it, are influenced by social factors. From the exclusion of women's bodies in medical research, to the silence and stigma of menstruation and menopause, to the racism reflected in maternal mortality, the relevance of social factors is paramount. After a brief history of research on women's health, we review selected patterns, trends, and inequalities in US women's health. These patterns reveal US women's poor and declining longevity relative to those in other high-income countries, gaps in knowledge about painful and debilitating conditions that affect millions of women, and deep inequalities that underscore the need to redress political and structural features of US society that enhance health for some and diminish it for others. We close by describing the challenges and opportunities for future research, and the promise of a social determinants of health approach for advancing a multilevel, intersectional, and biosocial understanding of women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Short
- Department of Sociology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Meghan Zacher
- Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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25
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Martins T, Abel G, Ukoumunne OC, Price S, Lyratzopoulos G, Chinegwundoh F, Hamilton W. Assessing Ethnic Inequalities in Diagnostic Interval of Common Cancers: A Population-Based UK Cohort Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3085. [PMID: 35804858 PMCID: PMC9264889 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated ethnic differences in diagnostic interval (DI)-the period between initial primary care presentation and diagnosis. METHODS We analysed the primary care-linked data of patients who reported features of seven cancers (breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, oesophagogastric, myeloma, and ovarian) one year before diagnosis. Accelerated failure time (AFT) models investigated the association between DI and ethnicity, adjusting for age, sex, deprivation, and morbidity. RESULTS Of 126,627 eligible participants, 92.1% were White, 1.99% Black, 1.71% Asian, 1.83% Mixed, and 2.36% were of Other ethnic backgrounds. Considering all cancer sites combined, the median (interquartile range) DI was 55 (20-175) days, longest in lung [127, (42-265) days], and shortest in breast cancer [13 (13, 8-18) days]. DI for the Black and Asian groups was 10% (AFT ratio, 95%CI 1.10, 1.05-1.14) and 16% (1.16, 1.10-1.22), respectively, longer than for the White group. Site-specific analyses revealed evidence of longer DI in Asian and Black patients with prostate, colorectal, and oesophagogastric cancer, plus Black patients with breast cancer and myeloma, and the Mixed group with lung cancer compared with White patients. DI was shorter for the Other group with lung, prostate, myeloma, and oesophagogastric cancer than the White group. CONCLUSION We found limited and inconsistent evidence of ethnic differences in DI among patients who reported cancer features in primary care before diagnosis. Our findings suggest that inequalities in diagnostic intervals, where present, are unlikely to be the sole explanation for ethnic variations in cancer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanimola Martins
- College House St Luke’s Campus, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (S.P.); (W.H.)
| | - Gary Abel
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC), University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (G.A.); (O.C.U.)
| | - Obioha C. Ukoumunne
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC), University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (G.A.); (O.C.U.)
| | - Sarah Price
- College House St Luke’s Campus, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (S.P.); (W.H.)
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes (ECHO) Group, University College London, 1–19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HB, UK;
| | - Frank Chinegwundoh
- Barts Health NHS Trust & Department of Health Sciences, University of London, London WC1E 7HB, UK;
| | - William Hamilton
- College House St Luke’s Campus, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (S.P.); (W.H.)
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26
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White B, Rafiq M, Gonzalez-Izquierdo A, Hamilton W, Price S, Lyratzopoulos G. Risk of cancer following primary care presentation with fatigue: a population-based cohort study of a quarter of a million patients. Br J Cancer 2022; 126:1627-1636. [PMID: 35181753 PMCID: PMC9130200 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01733-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The management of adults presenting with fatigue presents a diagnostic challenge, particularly regarding possible underlying cancer. METHODS Using electronic health records, we examined cancer risk in patients presenting to primary care with new-onset fatigue in England during 2007-2013, compared to general population estimates. We examined variation by age, sex, deprivation, and time following presentation. FINDINGS Of 250,606 patients presenting with fatigue, 12-month cancer risk exceeded 3% in men aged 65 and over and women aged 80 and over, and 6% in men aged 80 and over. Nearly half (47%) of cancers were diagnosed within 3 months from first fatigue presentation. Site-specific cancer risk was higher than the general population for most cancers studied, with greatest relative increases for leukaemia, pancreatic and brain cancers. CONCLUSIONS In older patients, new-onset fatigue is associated with cancer risk exceeding current thresholds for urgent specialist referral. Future research should consider how risk is modified by the presence or absence of other signs and symptoms. Excess cancer risk wanes rapidly after 3 months, which could inform the duration of a 'safety-netting' period. Fatigue presentation is not strongly predictive of any single cancer, although certain cancers are over-represented; this knowledge can help prioritise diagnostic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becky White
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Meena Rafiq
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arturo Gonzalez-Izquierdo
- Institute of Health Informatics, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Willie Hamilton
- University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Sarah Price
- University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
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27
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Rovito MJ, Craycraft M, Adams WB, Maresca M, Saab MM, Cary C, Gooljar C, Martinez S, Abu Zanet R. A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Testicular Cancer Symptom Recognition and Stage of Diagnosis. Am J Mens Health 2022; 16:15579883221104900. [PMID: 35723132 PMCID: PMC9344164 DOI: 10.1177/15579883221104900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a need to further explore the relationship between atypical symptom
reporting and stage diagnosis to help develop a clearer defined list of possible
testicular cancer (TC) symptoms that could assist physicians diagnose the
disease earlier. A cross-sectional study was employed to explore possible
associations between TC symptom presentation and stage of diagnosis. An original
40-item survey was distributed among 698 TC survivors to determine the potential
impact of several risk factors, experiences, and behaviors upon diagnosis. This
analysis aimed to explore how certain patient-driven experiences (e.g.,
symptoms, perceptions, and behaviors) could serve as catalysts for seeking
medical care for testicular health concerns. Experiencing hot flashes or having
no symptoms had a positive association with later-stage diagnosis while change
in shape had a significant negative association with later-stage diagnosis.
While the logistic regression model explained relatively low variance in the
data (R2 = .1415), it was statistically significant
(χ2p < .001). Pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6524,
p < .05), hot flashes (OR = 5.7893, p
< .01), and no symptoms experienced (OR = 12.4836, p <
.01) were all significant predictors of a more advanced stage diagnosis. The
concern around uncommon/atypical symptoms are that they are indistinct and do
not serve as clear signs that TC is present. However, perhaps in tandem with
other more overt symptoms, their discovery can serve in a more confirmatory role
for a suspect case. If observed with other uncommonly reported symptoms, these
uncommon symptoms could provide another pathway in the TC diagnostic process.
Clinical and patient education is warranted to increase awareness of uncommon TC
symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Rovito
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | | | - Wesley B Adams
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Michael Maresca
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Mohamad M Saab
- Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Clint Cary
- Health Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Chayna Gooljar
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Sydney Martinez
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Rama Abu Zanet
- Testicular Cancer Research Collaborative, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
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28
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Tyrer F, Bhaskaran K, Rutherford MJ. Immortal time bias for life-long conditions in retrospective observational studies using electronic health records. BMC Med Res Methodol 2022; 22:86. [PMID: 35350993 PMCID: PMC8962148 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-022-01581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Immortal time bias is common in observational studies but is typically described for pharmacoepidemiology studies where there is a delay between cohort entry and treatment initiation. Methods This study used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and linked national mortality data in England from 2000 to 2019 to investigate immortal time bias for a specific life-long condition, intellectual disability. Life expectancy (Chiang’s abridged life table approach) was compared for 33,867 exposed and 980,586 unexposed individuals aged 10+ years using five methods: (1) treating immortal time as observation time; (2) excluding time before date of first exposure diagnosis; (3) matching cohort entry to first exposure diagnosis; (4) excluding time before proxy date of inputting first exposure diagnosis (by the physician); and (5) treating exposure as a time-dependent measure. Results When not considered in the design or analysis (Method 1), immortal time bias led to disproportionately high life expectancy for the exposed population during the first calendar period (additional years expected to live: 2000–2004: 65.6 [95% CI: 63.6,67.6]) compared to the later calendar periods (2005–2009: 59.9 [58.8,60.9]; 2010–2014: 58.0 [57.1,58.9]; 2015–2019: 58.2 [56.8,59.7]). Date of entry of diagnosis (Method 4) was unreliable in this CPRD cohort. The final methods (Method 2, 3 and 5) appeared to solve the main theoretical problem but residual bias may have remained. Conclusions We conclude that immortal time bias is a significant issue for studies of life-long conditions that use electronic health record data and requires careful consideration of how clinical diagnoses are entered onto electronic health record systems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-022-01581-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya Tyrer
- Department of Health Sciences (Biostatistics Research Group), University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Krishnan Bhaskaran
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark J Rutherford
- Department of Health Sciences (Biostatistics Research Group), University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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29
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Majano SB, Lyratzopoulos G, Rachet B, de Wit NJ, Renzi C. Do presenting symptoms, use of pre-diagnostic endoscopy and risk of emergency cancer diagnosis vary by comorbidity burden and type in patients with colorectal cancer? Br J Cancer 2022; 126:652-663. [PMID: 34741134 PMCID: PMC8569047 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01603-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer patients often have pre-existing comorbidities, which can influence timeliness of cancer diagnosis. We examined symptoms, investigations and emergency presentation (EP) risk among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients by comorbidity status. METHODS Using linked cancer registration, primary care and hospital records of 4836 CRC patients (2011-2015), and multivariate quantile and logistic regression, we examined variations in specialist investigations, diagnostic intervals and EP risk. RESULTS Among colon cancer patients, 46% had at least one pre-existing hospital-recorded comorbidity, most frequently cardiovascular disease (CVD, 18%). Comorbid versus non-comorbid cancer patients more frequently had records of anaemia (43% vs 38%), less frequently rectal bleeding/change in bowel habit (20% vs 27%), and longer intervals from symptom-to-first relevant test (median 136 vs 74 days). Comorbid patients were less likely investigated with colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy, independently of symptoms (adjusted OR = 0.7[0.6, 0.9] for Charlson comorbidity score 1-2 and OR = 0.5 [0.4-0.7] for score 3+ versus 0. EP risk increased with comorbidity score 0, 1, 2, 3+: 23%, 35%, 33%, 47%; adjusted OR = 1.8 [1.4, 2.2]; 1.7 [1.3, 2.3]; 3.0 [2.3, 4.0]) and for patients with CVD (adjusted OR = 2.0 [1.5, 2.5]). CONCLUSIONS Comorbid individuals with as-yet-undiagnosed CRC often present with general rather than localising symptoms and are less likely promptly investigated with colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy. Comorbidity is a risk factor for diagnostic delay and has potential, additionally to symptoms, as risk-stratifier for prioritising patients needing prompt assessment to reduce EP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Benitez Majano
- Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network (ICON) Group, Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - Bernard Rachet
- Inequalities in Cancer Outcomes Network (ICON) Group, Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Niek J de Wit
- University Medical Center, Utrecht University, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cristina Renzi
- Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare & Outcomes (ECHO) Research Group, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
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30
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White B, Renzi C, Rafiq M, Abel GA, Jensen H, Lyratzopoulos G. Does changing healthcare use signal opportunities for earlier detection of cancer? A review of studies using information from electronic patient records. Cancer Epidemiol 2022; 76:102072. [PMID: 34876377 PMCID: PMC8785122 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2021.102072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been proposed that changes in healthcare use before cancer diagnosis could signal opportunities for quicker detection, but systematic appreciation of such evidence is lacking. We reviewed studies examining pre-diagnostic changes in healthcare utilisation (e.g. rates of GP or hospital consultations, prescriptions or diagnostic tests) among patients subsequently diagnosed with cancer. METHODS We identified studies through Pubmed searches complemented by expert elicitation. We extracted information on the earliest time point when diagnosis could have been possible for at least some cancers, together with variation in the length of such 'diagnostic windows' by tumour and patient characteristics. RESULTS Across twenty-eight studies, changes in healthcare use were observable at least six months pre-diagnosis for many common cancers, and potentially even earlier for colorectal cancer, multiple myeloma and brain tumours. Early changes were also identified for brain and colon cancer sub-sites. CONCLUSION Changing healthcare utilisation patterns before diagnosis indicate that future improvements in diagnostic technologies or services could help to shorten diagnostic intervals for cancer. There is greatest potential for quicker diagnosis for certain cancer types and patient groups, which can inform priorities for the development of decision support tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becky White
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC)), University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Cristina Renzi
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC)), University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Meena Rafiq
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC)), University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Gary A Abel
- University of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Henry Jensen
- Research Unit for General Practice, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Georgios Lyratzopoulos
- ECHO (Epidemiology of Cancer Healthcare and Outcomes, Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care (IEHC)), University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Hardy V, Yue A, Archer S, Merriel SWD, Thompson M, Emery J, Usher-Smith J, Walter FM. Role of primary care physician factors on diagnostic testing and referral decisions for symptoms of possible cancer: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e053732. [PMID: 35074817 PMCID: PMC8788239 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Missed opportunities for diagnosing cancer cause patients harm and have been attributed to suboptimal use of tests and referral pathways in primary care. Primary care physician (PCP) factors have been suggested to affect decisions to investigate cancer, but their influence is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To synthesise evidence evaluating the influence of PCP factors on decisions to investigate symptoms of possible cancer. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO between January 1990 and March 2021 for relevant citations. Studies examining the effect or perceptions and experiences of PCP factors on use of tests and referrals for symptomatic patients with any cancer were included. PCP factors comprised personal characteristics and attributes of physicians in clinical practice. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Critical appraisal and data extraction were undertaken independently by two authors. Due to study heterogeneity, data could not be statistically pooled. We, therefore, performed a narrative synthesis. RESULTS 29 studies were included. Most studies were conducted in European countries. A total of 11 PCP factors were identified comprising modifiable and non-modifiable factors. Clinical judgement of symptoms as suspicious or 'alarm' prompted more investigations than non-alarm symptoms. 'Gut feeling' predicted a subsequent cancer diagnosis and was perceived to facilitate decisions to investigate non-specific symptoms as PCP experience increased. Female PCPs investigated cancer more than male PCPs. The effect of PCP age and years of experience on testing and referral decisions was inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS PCP interpretation of symptoms as higher risk facilitated testing and referral decisions for possible cancer. However, in the absence of 'alarm' symptoms or 'gut feeling', PCPs may not investigate cancer. PCPs require strategies for identifying patients with non-alarm and non-specific symptoms who need testing or referral. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD420191560515.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Hardy
- The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adelaide Yue
- The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephanie Archer
- The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Matthew Thompson
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jon Emery
- Centre for Cancer Research and Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne VCCC, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Juliet Usher-Smith
- The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fiona M Walter
- The Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Factors affecting the decision to investigate older adults with potential cancer symptoms: a systematic review. Br J Gen Pract 2021; 72:e1-e10. [PMID: 34782315 PMCID: PMC8597772 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp.2021.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older age and frailty increase the risk of morbidity and mortality from cancer surgery and intolerance of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The effect of old age on diagnostic intervals is unknown; however, older adults need a balanced approach to the diagnosis and management of cancer symptoms, considering the benefits of early diagnosis, patient preferences, and the likely prognosis of a cancer. AIM To examine the association between older age and diagnostic processes for cancer, and the specific factors that affect diagnosis. DESIGN AND SETTING A systematic literature review. METHOD Electronic databases were searched for studies of patients aged >65 years presenting with cancer symptoms to primary care considering diagnostic decisions. Studies were analysed using thematic synthesis and according to the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis guidelines. RESULTS Data from 54 studies with 230 729 participants were included. The majority of studies suggested an association between increasing age and prolonged diagnostic interval or deferral of a decision to investigate cancer symptoms. Thematic synthesis highlighted three important factors that resulted in uncertainty in decisions involving older adults: presence of frailty, comorbidities, and cognitive impairment. Data suggested patients wished to be involved in decision making, but the presence of cognitive impairment and the need for additional time within a consultation were significant barriers. CONCLUSION This systematic review has highlighted uncertainty in the management of older adults with cancer symptoms. Patients and their family wished to be involved in these decisions. Given the uncertainty regarding optimum management of this group of patients, a shared decision-making approach is important.
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Jessen NH, Jensen H, Helsper CW, Falborg AZ, Glerup H, Gronbaek H, Vedsted P. Cancer suspicion, referral to cancer patient pathway and primary care interval: a survey and register study exploring 10 different types of abdominal cancer. Fam Pract 2021; 38:589-597. [PMID: 33904928 DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abdominal cancers represent 30% of all diagnosed cancers. Nevertheless, it is unknown if the general practitioner's (GP's) initial cancer suspicion varies for different abdominal cancer types and how this is associated with referrals to standardized cancer patient pathways (CPPs). OBJECTIVES To explore initial cancer suspicion in GPs and to investigate how this was associated with GP referrals to CPPs and the duration of the primary care interval (PCI) in 10 different abdominal cancer types. METHODS We conducted a cohort study on 1104 incident abdominal cancer patients diagnosed in Denmark in 2016 using a combination of survey and register-based data. Poisson regression was used to estimate associations between GP cancer suspicion, CPP referral and PCI duration. RESULTS The GPs initially suspected cancer or other serious disease in 46-78% of cases, lowest in kidney cancer, and referred 35-65% to a CPP, lowest in oesophageal cancer. The GP's suspicion at the first presentation was strongly associated with referral to a CPP. The median (0-11 days) and 75th percentile (3-32 days) PCIs varied between the abdominal cancer types. The likelihood of a long PCI was more than 3-fold higher when the GP did not initially suspect cancer. CONCLUSION In up to half of abdominal cancer patients, there is no initial suspicion of cancer or serious disease. CPPs were used in only one-third to two-thirds of patients, depending on cancer type. For kidney cancer, as well as several abdominal cancers, we need better diagnostic strategies to support GPs to enable effective and efficient referral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna H Jessen
- Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Henry Jensen
- Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Charles W Helsper
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alina Z Falborg
- Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Henning Glerup
- Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Henning Gronbaek
- Department of Clinical Medicine-Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Vedsted
- Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark.,Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
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Rodríguez-Soza C, Ruiz-Cantero MT. [Gender blindness in medical textbooks: the case of leukemias]. GACETA SANITARIA 2021; 36:333-344. [PMID: 34274164 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyse the existence of sex-differences in the content on leukemias in the Haematology and Internal Medicine textbooks recommended in the Medical Degrees, 2019-2020, by comparison with the sex-differences recognized in the scientific literature. METHOD Manifest content analysis of the content of chapters on leukemias in the books on hematology and internal medicine, clinical haematology and haematology undergraduate. Analysis categories: epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of leukemias. RESULTS Epidemiological information from the revised books has a greater consideration of sex differences in incidence and prognosis but does not contain data on mortality and survival. Etiopathogenesis is described in all books as the same physiological process for both sexes and no differences in the presentation of symptoms are described in any book. Three books describe a unique treatment that is assumed equal for both sexes; two books mention the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in pregnant women and one in chronic myeloid leukemia. No book mentions sex-differences in pharmacokinetics, efficacy, or treatment toxicity, although there is greater evidence on unequal behavior between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS The contents of sex and gender differences in the leukemia chapters analyzed are insufficient compared to the evidence in the scientific literature today. Hematology textbooks might increase their scientific quality in future editions, including knowledge of sex-gender interaction in the sections of epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and consequences of leukemias, which will contribute to better professional practices, more efficient and equitable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María Teresa Ruiz-Cantero
- Grupo de Investigación de Salud Pública, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, España; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España.
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Williamsson C, Rystedt J, Andersson B. An analysis of gender differences in treatment and outcome of periampullary tumours in Sweden - A national cohort study. HPB (Oxford) 2021; 23:847-853. [PMID: 33339715 DOI: 10.1016/j.hpb.2020.11.1145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known of possible gender differences in treatment of periampullary tumours and outcome after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), and the aim of this study was therefore to investigate any variances from national multicentre perspective. METHODS Data from the Swedish National Registry for Pancreatic and Periampullary Cancer for all patients diagnosed with a periampullary tumour from 2012 throughout 2017 was collected. The material was analysed in two groups, men and women, for palliative treatment and curative intended resection. RESULTS A total of 5677 patients were included, 2906 (51%) men and 2771 (49%) women. Women were older than men, 72 (65-78) years vs. 70 (64-76), p < 0.001. A lesser proportion of women were planned for resection (1131 (41%) vs. 1288 (44%), p = 0.008), but after adjusting for age and tumour location no difference was seen. Postoperative morbidity was equal, but women had significantly better long-term survival than men. The survival was equal for palliative men and women. CONCLUSION No gender bias could be established when analysing treatment for periampullary tumours in Sweden, even though less women were offered surgery. Data suggest that even though women were older they tolerate surgery well and hence offering PD at a higher age for women could be suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Williamsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Surgery, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jenny Rystedt
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Surgery, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bodil Andersson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Surgery, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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Martínez MT, Montón-Bueno J, Simon S, Ortega B, Moragon S, Roselló S, Insa A, Navarro J, Sanmartín A, Julve A, Buch E, Peña A, Franco J, Martínez-Jabaloyas J, Marco J, Forner MJ, Cano A, Silvestre A, Teruel A, Lluch A, Cervantes A, Chirivella Gonzalez I. Ten-year assessment of a cancer fast-track programme to connect primary care with oncology: reducing time from initial symptoms to diagnosis and treatment initiation. ESMO Open 2021; 6:100148. [PMID: 33989988 PMCID: PMC8136438 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. Integrating different levels of care by implementing screening programmes, extending diagnostic tools and applying therapeutic advances may increase survival. We implemented a cancer fast-track programme (CFP) to shorten the time between suspected cancer symptoms, diagnosis and therapy initiation. Patients and methods Descriptive data were collected from the 10 years since the CFP was implemented (2009-2019) at the Clinico-Malvarrosa Health Department in Valencia, Spain. General practitioners (GPs), an oncology coordinator and 11 specialists designed guidelines for GP patient referral to the CFP, including criteria for breast, digestive, gynaecological, lung, urological, dermatological, head and neck, and soft tissue cancers. Patients with enlarged lymph nodes and constitutional symptoms were also considered. On identifying patients with suspected cancer, GPs sent a case proposal to the oncology coordinator. If criteria were met, an appointment was quickly made with the patient. We analysed the timeline of each stage of the process. Results A total of 4493 suspected cancer cases were submitted to the CFP, of whom 4019 were seen by the corresponding specialist. Cancer was confirmed in 1098 (27.3%) patients: breast cancer in 33%, urological cancers in 22%, gastrointestinal cancer in 19% and lung cancer in 15%. The median time from submission to cancer testing was 11 days, and diagnosis was reached in a median of 19 days. Treatment was started at a median of 34 days from diagnosis. Conclusions The findings of this study show that the interval from GP patient referral to specialist testing, cancer diagnosis and start of therapy can be reduced. Implementation of the CFP enabled most patients to begin curative intended treatment, and required only minimal resources in our setting. Our CFP easily connects GPs and hospital specialists. Our CFP shortens assessment time in patients with suspected cancer, adding to quality care. Our CFP decreases emotional stress in patients without cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Martínez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Montón-Bueno
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Simon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - B Ortega
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Moragon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Roselló
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Insa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Navarro
- Management Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; CIBERESP (CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública), Centro Nacional de Epidemiología del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Sanmartín
- Management Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Julve
- Department of Radiodiagnosis, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - E Buch
- Department of Surgery, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Peña
- Department of Medicine Digestive, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Franco
- Department of Pneumology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Martínez-Jabaloyas
- Department of Urology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Marco
- Department of Otolaryngology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - M J Forner
- Department of Internal Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Cano
- Department of Gynecology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Silvestre
- Department of Traumatology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Teruel
- Department of Hematology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Lluch
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - A Cervantes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - I Chirivella Gonzalez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
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Hwang YJ, Shin DW, Kim N, Yoon H, Shin CM, Park YS, Lee DH. Sex difference in bowel preparation quality and colonoscopy time. Korean J Intern Med 2021; 36:322-331. [PMID: 32564572 PMCID: PMC7969071 DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2019.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The length of colon is known to be longer in females than in males. In addition, the morphology of colon cancer is different between males and females. The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in Boston bowel preparation score (BBPS) and colonoscopy insertion time. METHODS This study retrospectively analyzed medical records and colonoscopy readings of subjects who underwent colonoscopy at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from March 2015 to April 2018. BPPS was used to evaluate the degree of colon cleanness before colonoscopy. Statistical analysis was performed to compare demographic, clinical, and outcome variables between two groups. RESULTS The study group consisted of a total of 12,561 patients (6,148 females and 6,413 males). Mean age was 57.8 ± 13.5 years for females and 57.5 ± 13.8 years for males (p = 0.695). Females showed better bowel preparation than males (mean total score: 7.4 ± 1.8 vs. 7.2 ± 1.9, p = 0.001; total score ≥ 6: 5,340 [86.9%] vs. 5,437 [84.8%], p = 0.001; BBPS ≥ 2 for all segments: 5,048 [82.1%] vs. 5,097 [79.5%], p < 0.001). However, cecal intubation time (8.3 ± 6.2 minutes vs. 6.2 ± 6.1 minutes, p < 0.001) and withdrawal time (7.9 ± 3.5 minutes vs. 7.4 ± 3.1 minutes, p < 0.001) were longer in males. CONCLUSION There were sex differences in BBPS, cecal intubation time, and withdrawal time for subjects undergoing colonoscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Jae Hwang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Dong Woo Shin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Nayoung Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Liver Research, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Correspondence to Nayoung Kim, M.D. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82 Gumi-ro 173beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13620, Korea Tel: + 82-31-787-7008 Fax: + 82-31-787-4051 E-mail:
| | - Hyuk Yoon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Cheol Min Shin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Young Soo Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Dong Ho Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Liver Research, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Price M, Goodwin JC, De la Garza Ramos R, Baëta C, Dalton T, McCray E, Yassari R, Karikari I, Abd-El-Barr M, Goodwin AN, Rory Goodwin C. Gender disparities in clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes in metastatic spine disease. Cancer Epidemiol 2021; 70:101856. [PMID: 33348243 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2020.101856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of metastatic spine disease (MSD) is increasing among cancer patients. Given the poor outcomes and high rates of morbidity associated with MSD, it is important to determine demographic factors that could impact interventions and outcomes for this patient population. The objectives of this study were to compare in-hospital mortality and complication rates, clinical presentation, and interventions between female and male patients diagnosed with MSD. METHODS Patient data were collected from the United States National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from the years 2012-2014. Descriptive statistics were used to compare data from 51,800 cases; subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of gender on outcomes. RESULTS Males had significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.30; 95 % CI 1.09-1.56, p = 0.004) and were more likely to have received surgical intervention than females (OR 1.34; 95 % CI 1.16-1.55, p < 0.001). Additionally, female patients were more likely to present with vertebral compression fracture (p < 0.001), while metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) and paralysis were more common in male patients (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in rates of in-hospital complications between female and male patients. CONCLUSION Given the significant differences in mortality, disease course, treatment, and in-hospital complications between female and male patients diagnosed with MSD, additional prospective studies are necessary to understand how to meaningfully incorporate these differences into clinical care and prognostication going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Price
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jessica C Goodwin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Rafael De la Garza Ramos
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - César Baëta
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Tara Dalton
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Edwin McCray
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Reza Yassari
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Isaac Karikari
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Muhammad Abd-El-Barr
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Andrea N Goodwin
- Department of Sociology, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - C Rory Goodwin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.
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Hajjay A, Hassan SAM, Rayes R, Alzahrani L, Alotaibi KF, Alharbi S. Risk Factors Linked to Depression After Treatment in Cancer Survivors in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2021; 13:e12710. [PMID: 33614315 PMCID: PMC7883560 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.12710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background While many cancer patients survive long after diagnosis, one is bound to experience long-term and latent side effects as a result of the treatment. This experience results in a poor quality of life, morbidity, and mortality for cancer survivors. Understanding how to manage these side-effects is quite important and a key to cancer survivorship. Objective Given the importance of this area, the main objective of this study seeks to understand the risk factor associated with cancer survivorship. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 154 cancer survivors from King Fahad General and Kind Abdul-Aziz hospitals. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the responses. Descriptive statistics were used in understanding the extent of the risk factors while inferential statistics were used to understand the cross-relationships. Results This study included 154 cancer survivors aged 18 and above at King Fahad Hospital and King Abdul-Aziz Hospital in Jeddah, Makkah Region, KSA. Thirty-one (20.1%) of the sample were males and 123 (79.9%) were females. Of all the survivors who screened, 111 (72.9%) symptoms occur before treatment, 116 (75.3%) within the treatment, and 57 (37.09%) after treatment. The relationship between Socioeconomic Status Cross Symptoms categories demonstrated below includes accommodation type, education level, age, gender, and job. Conclusion The study concludes that post-cancer treatment symptoms are highly affected by other factors such as social-economic status as well as family support. As a result, the study recommends the establishment of educational materials on post-treatment symptoms, care-plans, and support groups for cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel Hajjay
- Medicine and Surgery, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, SAU
| | | | - Rida Rayes
- Medicine and Surgery, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, SAU
| | | | | | - Shurooq Alharbi
- Medicine and Surgery, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, SAU
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Time from presentation to pre-diagnostic chest X-ray in patients with symptomatic lung cancer: a cohort study using electronic patient records from English primary care. Br J Gen Pract 2021; 71:e273-e279. [PMID: 33431382 PMCID: PMC7805412 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20x714077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND National guidelines in England recommend prompt chest X-ray (within 14 days) in patients presenting in general practice with unexplained symptoms of possible lung cancer, including persistent cough, shortness of breath, or weight loss. AIM To examine time to chest X-ray in symptomatic patients in English general practice before lung cancer diagnosis, and explore demographical variation. DESIGN AND SETTING Retrospective cohort study using routinely collected general practice, cancer registry, and imaging data from England. METHOD Patients with lung cancer who presented symptomatically in general practice in the year pre-diagnosis and who had a pre-diagnostic chest X-ray were included. Time from presentation to chest X-ray (presentation-test interval) was determined and intervals classified based on national guideline recommendations as concordant (≤14 days) or non-concordant (>14 days). Variation in intervals was examined by age, sex, smoking status, and deprivation. RESULTS In a cohort of 2102 patients with lung cancer, the median presentation-test interval was 49 (interquartile range [IQR] 5-172) days. Of these, 727 (35%) patients had presentation-test intervals of ≤14 days (median 1 [IQR 0-6] day) and 1375 (65%) had presentation-test intervals of >14 days (median 128 [IQR 52-231] days). Intervals were longer among patients who smoke (equivalent to 63% longer than non-smokers; P<0.001), older patients (equivalent to 7% longer for every 10 years from age 27; P = 0.013), and females (equivalent to 12% longer than males; P = 0.016). CONCLUSION In symptomatic primary care patients who underwent chest X-ray before lung cancer diagnosis, only 35% were tested within the timeframe recommended by national guidelines. Patients who smoke, older patients, and females experienced longer intervals. These findings could help guide initiatives aimed at improving timely lung cancer diagnosis.
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Golding H, Webber CE, Groome PA. Factors contributing to time to diagnosis in symptomatic colorectal cancer: A scoping review. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2020; 30:e13397. [PMID: 33377574 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide (Ferlay et al., 2015, International Journal of Cancer, 136, E359), and delayed diagnosis is associated with mortality (Tørring et al., 2011, British Journal of Cancer, 104, 934; Tørring et al., 2012, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 65, 669). The purpose of this review was to determine the factors associated with time to diagnosis in symptomatic CRC using scoping review methods. METHODS We performed database and citation searches to identify studies which examine the length of any interval from symptom presentation to diagnosis. Study selection was conducted by two independent reviewers. Factors contributing to time to diagnosis were extracted from selected articles and mapped onto a conceptual framework consisting of four levels: patient and disease factors, provider factors, organisation/setting factors and sectors of influence. RESULTS From the 31 studies included in this review, we identified 138 unique factors, 17 of which were investigated by at least three studies and 11 of which had consistent results. Patient and disease factors were most commonly studied. Patient perception that their symptoms were benign, a non-urgent referral, female sex and rectal tumour location were each associated with a longer time to diagnosis. CONCLUSION Thus far, the literature has focused on patient or disease-related factors, while other levels of influence have been relatively understudied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Golding
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Colleen E Webber
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Patti A Groome
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Price S, Spencer A, Zhang X, Ball S, Lyratzopoulos G, Mujica-Mota R, Stapley S, Ukoumunne OC, Hamilton W. Trends in time to cancer diagnosis around the period of changing national guidance on referral of symptomatic patients: A serial cross-sectional study using UK electronic healthcare records from 2006-17. Cancer Epidemiol 2020; 69:101805. [PMID: 32919226 PMCID: PMC7480981 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2020.101805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND UK primary-care referral guidance describes the signs, symptoms, and test results ("features") of undiagnosed cancer. Guidance revision in 2015 liberalised investigation by introducing more low-risk features. We studied adults with cancer whose features were in the 2005 guidance ("Old-NICE") or were introduced in the revision ("New-NICE"). We compared time to diagnosis between the groups, and its trend over 2006-2017. METHODS Clinical Practice Research Datalink records were analysed for adults with incident myeloma, breast, bladder, colorectal, lung, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, stomach or uterine cancers in 1/1/2006-31/12/2017. Cancer-specific features in the year before diagnosis were used to create New-NICE and Old-NICE groups. Diagnostic interval was time between the index feature and diagnosis. Semiparametric varying-coefficient analyses compared diagnostic intervals between New-NICE and Old-NICE groups over 1/1/2006-31/12/2017. RESULTS Over all cancers (N = 83,935), median (interquartile range) Old-NICE diagnostic interval rose over 2006-2017, from 51 (20-132) to 64 (30-148) days, with increases in breast (15 vs 25 days), lung (103 vs 135 days), ovarian (65·5 vs 100 days), prostate (80 vs 93 days) and stomach (72·5 vs 102 days) cancers. Median New-NICE values were consistently longer (99, 40-212 in 2006 vs 103, 42-236 days in 2017) than Old-NICE values over all cancers. After guidance revision, New-NICE diagnostic intervals became shorter than Old-NICE values for colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS Despite improvements for colorectal cancer, scope remains to reduce diagnostic intervals for most cancers. Liberalised investigation requires protecting and enhancing cancer-diagnostic services to avoid their becoming a rate-limiting step in the diagnostic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Price
- University of Exeter Medical School, Room 1.20 College House, St Luke's Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, UK.
| | - Anne Spencer
- Health Economics Group, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- University of Exeter Business School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Susan Ball
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | | | | | - Sal Stapley
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Obioha C Ukoumunne
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Willie Hamilton
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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Soomers VLMN, Husson O, Desar IME, van de Sande MAJ, de Haan JJ, Verhoef C, Vriens IJH, van Houdt WJ, van de Poll-Franse L, van der Graaf WTA. Patient and diagnostic intervals of survivors of sarcoma: Results from the SURVSARC study. Cancer 2020; 126:5283-5292. [PMID: 33002193 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with sarcoma are hypothesized to experience a prolonged route to a cancer diagnosis. This route, the total interval, can be divided into a patient interval (the time from the appearance of symptoms to physician consultation) and diagnostic interval (time from the first consultation to diagnosis). In the current study, the authors investigated these intervals among survivors of sarcoma and identified factors associated with prolonged intervals. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with sarcoma 2 to 10 years after diagnosis. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their total interval, which was linked to clinical data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics were used to describe intervals. Based on Dutch clinical guidelines, a diagnostic interval ≥1 month was considered to be prolonged and an interval ≥3 months was considered as very long. Multivariable regression analyses investigated associations between patient and tumor characteristics and interval length. RESULTS A total of 1099 participants were included (response rate, 58%); approximately 60% reported a patient interval ≥1 month and 36% reported a patient interval ≥3 months. Risk factors for a very long patient interval were sarcoma of the skin or pelvis, liposarcoma, or rhabdomyosarcoma. Stage III disease was associated with a shorter patient interval. The diagnostic interval length was ≥1 month in 55% of patients and ≥3 months in 28% of patients. Risk factors for a very long diagnostic interval were female sex, age <70 years, or having a synovial sarcoma or chordoma. CONCLUSIONS The patient and diagnostic interval lengths were prolonged in a substantial percentage of this sarcoma survivorship population. Factors found to be associated with the length of the patient interval or the diagnostic interval differed. Creating awareness among (especially young) patients to consult a physician and awareness among physicians to consider a sarcoma diagnosis will contribute to optimization of the total interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky L M N Soomers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Olga Husson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Division of Clinical Studies, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ingrid M E Desar
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jacco J de Haan
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Verhoef
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingeborg J H Vriens
- Department of Medical Oncology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Winan J van Houdt
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke van de Poll-Franse
- Department of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Research, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Disorders, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Winette T A van der Graaf
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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45
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Investigating cancer symptoms in older people: what are the issues and where is the evidence? Br J Gen Pract 2020; 70:321-322. [PMID: 32586799 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20x710789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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Delays in referral from primary care worsen survival for patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study. Br J Gen Pract 2020; 70:e463-e471. [PMID: 32540874 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20x710441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delays in referral for patients with colorectal cancer may occur if the presenting symptom is falsely attributed to a benign condition. AIM To investigate whether delays in referral from primary care are associated with a later stage of cancer at diagnosis and worse prognosis. DESIGN AND SETTING A national retrospective cohort study in England including adult patients with colorectal cancer identified from the cancer registry with linkage to Clinical Practice Research Datalink, who had been referred following presentation to their GP with a 'red flag' or 'non-specific' symptom. METHOD The hazard ratios (HR) of death were calculated for delays in referral of between 2 weeks and 3 months, and >3 months, compared with referrals within 2 weeks. RESULTS A total of 4527 (63.5%) patients with colon cancer and 2603 (36.5%) patients with rectal cancer were included in the study. The percentage of patients presenting with red-flag symptoms who experienced a delay of >3 months before referral was 16.9% of those with colon cancer and 13.5% of those with rectal cancer, compared with 35.7% of patients with colon cancer and 42.9% of patients with rectal cancer who presented with non-specific symptoms. Patients referred after 3 months with red-flag symptoms demonstrated a significantly worse prognosis than patients who were referred within 2 weeks (colon cancer: HR 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29 to 1.81; rectal cancer: HR 1.30; 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.60). This association was not seen for patients presenting with non-specific symptoms. Delays in referral were associated with a significantly higher proportion of late-stage cancers. CONCLUSION The first presentation to the GP provides a referral opportunity to identify the underlying cancer, which, if missed, is associated with a later stage in diagnosis and worse survival.
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Gul ZG, Liaw CW, Mehrazin R. Gender Differences in Incidence, Diagnosis, Treatments, and Outcomes in Clinically Localized Bladder and Renal Cancer. Urology 2020; 151:176-181. [PMID: 32561364 DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2020.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review differences in bladder and renal cell cancer (RCC) incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes between men and women, and to summarize the evidence that explains these differences. METHODS A review of the current literature was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar. RESULTS The incidence of bladder cancer and RCC is higher in men. Historically higher smoking rates among men explain some but not all of the difference in incidence. Hormonal and genetic factors also contribute. In bladder cancer, the androgen receptor and estrogen receptor beta have been associated with gender and tumor characteristics. In RCC the relationships are less well defined. In both bladder cancer and RCC, differences in gene mutation patterns among men and women, particularly among genes located on the X-chromosome, have also been identified. Differences in the work-up and treatment of men and women with bladder cancer and RCC also contribute to gender disparities. CONCLUSION Research to better delineate how the hormonal axis and genetics contribute to disparities in bladder cancer and RCC incidence and outcomes will allow for more individualized medicine. Appreciation of barriers to diagnosis and treatment will identify opportunities to improve patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep G Gul
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, York, NY
| | - Christine W Liaw
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, York, NY
| | - Reza Mehrazin
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, York, NY.
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Nicholson BD, Hamilton W, Koshiaris C, Oke JL, Hobbs FDR, Aveyard P. The association between unexpected weight loss and cancer diagnosis in primary care: a matched cohort analysis of 65,000 presentations. Br J Cancer 2020; 122:1848-1856. [PMID: 32291391 PMCID: PMC7283307 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0829-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to understand the time period of cancer diagnosis and the cancer types detected in primary care patients with unexpected weight loss (UWL) to inform cancer guidelines. Methods This retrospective matched cohort study used cancer registry linked electronic health records from the UK’s Clinical Practice Research Datalink from between 2000 and 2014. Univariable and multivariable time-to-event analyses examined the association between UWL, and all cancers combined, cancer site and stage. Results In all, 63,973 patients had UWL recorded, of whom 1375 (2.2%) were diagnosed with cancer within 2 years (days-to-diagnosis: mean 181; median 80). Men with UWL (HR 3.28 (2.88–3.73)) and women (1.87 (1.68–2.08)) were more likely than comparators to be diagnosed with cancer within 3 months. The association was greatest in men aged ≥50 years and women ≥70 years. The commonest cancers were pancreas, cancer of unknown primary, gastro-oesophageal, lymphoma, hepatobiliary, lung, bowel and renal-tract. The majority were late-stage, but there was some evidence of association with stage II and stage III cancers. In the 3–24 months after presenting with UWL, cancer diagnosis was less likely than in comparators. Conclusion UWL recorded in primary care is associated with a broad range of cancer sites of early and late-stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Nicholson
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.
| | | | - Constantinos Koshiaris
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Jason L Oke
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - F D Richard Hobbs
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Paul Aveyard
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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van Erp NF, Helsper CW, Slottje P, Brandenbarg D, Büchner FL, van Asselt KM, Muris J, Kortekaas MF, Peeters P, de Wit NJ. Time to diagnosis of symptomatic gastric and oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands: Where is the room for improvement? United European Gastroenterol J 2020; 8:607-620. [PMID: 32250202 PMCID: PMC7268938 DOI: 10.1177/2050640620917804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
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 (p = 0.07). 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F van Erp
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - C W Helsper
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - P Slottje
- Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - D Brandenbarg
- Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - F L Büchner
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - K M van Asselt
- Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jwm Muris
- Department of Family Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - M F Kortekaas
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Phm Peeters
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - N J de Wit
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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50
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Rana RH, Alam F, Alam K, Gow J. Gender-specific differences in care-seeking behaviour among lung cancer patients: a systematic review. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020; 146:1169-1196. [DOI: 10.1007/s00432-020-03197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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