ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2026
Prediagnostic primary care consultations and imaging in emergency-diagnosed versus referred patients with lung cancer: a population-based linked data study.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundEmergency diagnosis of lung cancer is common and associated with worse prognosis.
aimTo compare prediagnostic healthcare use between emergency-diagnosed patients and patients referred routinely or urgently. DESIGN AND
settingPopulation-based linked English primary care, hospital admission, imaging, and cancer registration data were analysed for patients with lung cancer (2007-2018).
methodMonthly prediagnosis rates of consultations (for any clinical reason and selected symptoms) and chest imaging by diagnostic route (emergency, routine referral, and urgent referral) were measured. Multivariable Poisson regression estimated route-specific event rates and inflection points.
resultsThe study examined 4473 patients with lung cancer with features representative of the nationwide incident cohort, of whom 33% (
conclusionSimilar or shorter diagnostic windows suggest similar potential for earlier diagnosis among emergency-diagnosed and referred route patients alike. Earlier detection may be supported through improved management of non-specific symptoms, timely follow-up of imaging, and greater access to chest computed tomography. Future research should measure missed diagnostic opportunities to identify clinical actions to further reduce emergency lung cancer diagnoses.
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