Table 3 GP consulations with relevant symptoms for patients diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer following EP and non-EP by time before diagnosis
Colon cancer | Rectal cancer | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Non-EP | EP | Total | Non-EP | EP | |||
N =1029 | N =668 | N =361 | N =577 | N =490 | N =87 | |||
% | % | % | P -value a | % | % | % | P -value a | |
Patients with any relevant symptom | ||||||||
12 months pre-diagnosis | 80.1 | 82.6 | 75.4 | 0.005 | 84.4 | 86.3 | 73.6 | 0.002 |
Between 30 days and 12 months pre-diagnosis | 62.7 | 70.7 | 47.9 | <0.001 | 59.3 | 61.0 | 49.4 | 0.043 |
30 days pre-diagnosis | 37.9 | 29.8 | 52.9 | <0.001 | 43.0 | 42.7 | 44.8 | 0.706 |
No. of consultations with relevant symptoms between 30 days and 12 months pre-diagnosis | ||||||||
0 consultations | 37.3 | 29.3 | 52.1 | <0.001 | 40.7 | 39.0 | 50.6 | 0.094 |
1–2 consultations | 42.9 | 48.8 | 31.9 | 43.2 | 44.9 | 33.3 | ||
3+ consultations | 19.8 | 21.9 | 16.1 | 16.1 | 16.1 | 16.1 | ||
At least one red-flag symptom (anaemia, rectal bleeding, change in bowel habits) | ||||||||
Between 30 days and 12 months pre-diagnosis | 31.8 | 39.5 | 17.5 | <0.001 | 36.4 | 38.8 | 23.0 | 0.005 |
Specific symptoms recorded during the 30 days pre-diagnosis | ||||||||
Abdominal pain | 15.7 | 8.7 | 28.8 | <0.001 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 17.2 | <0.001 |
Anaemia | 6.2 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 0.002 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.698 |
Constipation | 4.7 | 2.0 | 9.7 | <0.001 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 10.3 | 0.001 |
Diarrhoea | 4.2 | 2.3 | 7.8 | <0.001 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 0.950 |
Rectal bleeding | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 0.126 | 17.2 | 19.0 | 6.9 | 0.006 |
Weight loss | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.733 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 4.6 | 0.026 |
Change in bowel habit | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.194 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 3.5 | 0.032 |
Fatigue | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.417 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 0.050 |
Specific symptoms recorded between 30 days and 12 months pre-diagnosis | ||||||||
Abdominal pain | 25.1 | 25.5 | 24.4 | 0.705 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 12.6 | 0.254 |
Anaemia | 19.2 | 23.2 | 11.9 | <0.001 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 0.450 |
Constipation | 8.1 | 8.7 | 6.9 | 0.323 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 5.8 | 0.375 |
Diarrhoea | 9.9 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 0.962 | 12.0 | 11.2 | 16.1 | 0.197 |
Rectal bleeding | 9.4 | 12.6 | 3.6 | <0.001 | 21.5 | 23.7 | 9.2 | 0.002 |
Weight loss | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 0.932 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.661 |
Change in bowel habit | 5.5 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 0.022 | 11.6 | 12.2 | 8.1 | 0.260 |
Fatigue | 4.4 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 0.226 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.452 |
Specific symptoms recorded between 13–24 months pre-diagnosis | ||||||||
Abdominal pain | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 0.625 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 0.678 |
Anaemia | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 0.502 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 0.501 |
Constipation | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 0.645 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.430 |
Diarrhoea | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.257 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.224 |
Rectal bleeding | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.898 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 0.074 |
Weight loss | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.130 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.913 |
Change in bowel habit | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.658 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.673 |
Fatigue | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 0.602 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.837 |
Specific symptoms recorded between 25–60 months pre-diagnosis | ||||||||
Abdominal pain | 11.7 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 0.528 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 0.592 |
Anaemia | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 0.449 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 8.1 | 0.002 |
Constipation | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.999 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 0.164 |
Diarrhoea | 6.1 | 5.4 | 7.5 | 0.182 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 0.609 |
Rectal bleeding | 3.1 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 0.049 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 0.678 |
Weight loss | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.238 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.203 |
Change in bowel habit | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.394 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 0.050 |
Fatigue | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 0.151 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 0.918 |
