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Abdominal symptoms in general practice : Frequency, cancer suspicions raised, and actions taken by GPs in six European countries. Cohort study with prospective registration of cancer

Holtedahl, Knut ; Vedsted, Peter ; Borgquist, Lars ; Donker, Gé A. ; Buntinx, Frank ; Weller, David ; Braaten, Tonje ; Hjertholm, Peter ; Månsson, Jörgen and Strandberg, Eva Lena LU , et al. (2017) In Heliyon 3(6). p.00328-00328
Abstract

Background Abdominal symptoms are diagnostically challenging to general practitioners (GPs): although common, they may indicate cancer. In a prospective cohort of patients, we examined abdominal symptom frequency, initial diagnostic suspicion, and actions of GPs in response to abdominal symptoms. Methods Over a 10-day period, 493 GPs in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland, recorded consecutive consultations: sex, date of birth and any specified abdominal symptoms. For patients with abdominal symptoms, additional data on non-specific symptoms, GPs’ diagnostic suspicion, and features of the consultation were noted. Data on all cancer diagnoses among all included patients were requested from the GPs eight months... (More)

Background Abdominal symptoms are diagnostically challenging to general practitioners (GPs): although common, they may indicate cancer. In a prospective cohort of patients, we examined abdominal symptom frequency, initial diagnostic suspicion, and actions of GPs in response to abdominal symptoms. Methods Over a 10-day period, 493 GPs in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland, recorded consecutive consultations: sex, date of birth and any specified abdominal symptoms. For patients with abdominal symptoms, additional data on non-specific symptoms, GPs’ diagnostic suspicion, and features of the consultation were noted. Data on all cancer diagnoses among all included patients were requested from the GPs eight months later. Findings Consultations with 61802 patients were recorded. Abdominal symptoms were recorded in 6264 (10.1%) patients. A subsequent malignancy was reported in 511 patients (0.8%): 441 (86.3%) had a new cancer, 70 (13.7%) a recurrent cancer. Abdominal symptoms were noted in 129 (25.2%) of cancer patients (P < 0.001), rising to 34.5% for the 89 patients with cancer located in the abdominal region. PPV for any cancer given any abdominal symptom was 2.1%. In symptomatic patients diagnosed with cancer, GPs noted a suspicion of cancer for 85 (65.9%) versus 1895 (30.9%) when there was no subsequent cancer (P < 0.001). No suspicion was noted in 32 (24.8%) cancer patients. The GP's intuitive cancer suspicion was independently associated with a subsequent new cancer diagnosis (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.15–3.89). Laboratory tests were ordered for 45.4% of symptomatic patients, imaging for 10.4%, referral or hospitalization for 20.0%: all were more frequent in subsequent cancer patients (P < 0.001). Interpretation Abdominal symptoms pointed to abdominal cancers rather than to other cancers. However, the finding of abdominal symptoms in only one third of patients with an abdominal cancer, and the lack of cancer suspicion in a quarter of symptomatic cancer patients, provide challenges for GPs’ diagnostic thinking and referral practices.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Evidence-based medicine, Medicine, Oncology, Public health
in
Heliyon
volume
3
issue
6
pages
00328 - 00328
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:28707001
  • scopus:85021180791
ISSN
2405-8440
DOI
10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00328
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
49edf4b3-1d4c-4f01-bb88-07ca292c4fa7
date added to LUP
2017-07-12 10:45:09
date last changed
2024-03-17 17:21:54
@article{49edf4b3-1d4c-4f01-bb88-07ca292c4fa7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background Abdominal symptoms are diagnostically challenging to general practitioners (GPs): although common, they may indicate cancer. In a prospective cohort of patients, we examined abdominal symptom frequency, initial diagnostic suspicion, and actions of GPs in response to abdominal symptoms. Methods Over a 10-day period, 493 GPs in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland, recorded consecutive consultations: sex, date of birth and any specified abdominal symptoms. For patients with abdominal symptoms, additional data on non-specific symptoms, GPs’ diagnostic suspicion, and features of the consultation were noted. Data on all cancer diagnoses among all included patients were requested from the GPs eight months later. Findings Consultations with 61802 patients were recorded. Abdominal symptoms were recorded in 6264 (10.1%) patients. A subsequent malignancy was reported in 511 patients (0.8%): 441 (86.3%) had a new cancer, 70 (13.7%) a recurrent cancer. Abdominal symptoms were noted in 129 (25.2%) of cancer patients (P &lt; 0.001), rising to 34.5% for the 89 patients with cancer located in the abdominal region. PPV for any cancer given any abdominal symptom was 2.1%. In symptomatic patients diagnosed with cancer, GPs noted a suspicion of cancer for 85 (65.9%) versus 1895 (30.9%) when there was no subsequent cancer (P &lt; 0.001). No suspicion was noted in 32 (24.8%) cancer patients. The GP's intuitive cancer suspicion was independently associated with a subsequent new cancer diagnosis (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.15–3.89). Laboratory tests were ordered for 45.4% of symptomatic patients, imaging for 10.4%, referral or hospitalization for 20.0%: all were more frequent in subsequent cancer patients (P &lt; 0.001). Interpretation Abdominal symptoms pointed to abdominal cancers rather than to other cancers. However, the finding of abdominal symptoms in only one third of patients with an abdominal cancer, and the lack of cancer suspicion in a quarter of symptomatic cancer patients, provide challenges for GPs’ diagnostic thinking and referral practices.</p>}},
  author       = {{Holtedahl, Knut and Vedsted, Peter and Borgquist, Lars and Donker, Gé A. and Buntinx, Frank and Weller, David and Braaten, Tonje and Hjertholm, Peter and Månsson, Jörgen and Strandberg, Eva Lena and Campbell, Christine and Ellegaard, Lisbeth and Parajuli, Ranjan}},
  issn         = {{2405-8440}},
  keywords     = {{Evidence-based medicine; Medicine; Oncology; Public health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{00328--00328}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Heliyon}},
  title        = {{Abdominal symptoms in general practice : Frequency, cancer suspicions raised, and actions taken by GPs in six European countries. Cohort study with prospective registration of cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00328}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00328}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}