A recent study found that after only 1 or 2 consultations, 77% of cancer patients who first present to their family doctors (GPs) with suspicious symptoms are referred to a specialist. The research, published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, also showed a large disparity in the number of times cancer patients visit their GP prior to a specialist referral. Most pre-referral consultations occurred when the patient was either female, young, or an older person from an ethnic minority, or when the cancer was one of the more rare types.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, used data from more than 41,000 patients with 24 different cancers who took part in the English National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2010. After examining variations among the number of GP consultations involving cancer symptoms prior to specialist referral and cancer diagnosis, researchers discovered that patients with breast, melanoma, testicular, and endometrial cancers were more likely to be referred to a specialist after just 1 or 2 consultations. However, patients with some less common cancers (eg, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic, stomach, and ovarian cancer), and patients with lung and colon cancers and lymphomas are more prone to consult with their family doctor 3 or more times prior to receiving a specialist referral. Furthermore, patients with multiple myeloma are 18 times more likely to require 3 or more pre-referral consultations compared with patients with breast cancer.
“These findings highlight limitations in current scientific knowledge about these cancers,” said lead investigator Dr Georgios Lyratzopoulos, Clinical Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. “Medical research in recent decades has prioritized improving cancer treatments, but knowledge about the ‘symptom signature’ of common cancers and practical solutions on how best to diagnose them is still emerging.”
Although the researchers are based in the UK, the study findings have implications for medical personnel worldwide, since they reflect the general difficulties of diagnosing cancers with nonspecific symptoms and signs.
Source: University of Cambridge.