Table 1 Patient characteristics, pathway process measurement and colorectal cancer detection rate by highest faecal haemoglobin concentration result in all patients submitting faecal immunochemical test in primary care, or referred to lower GI secondary care services in NHS Greater and Glasgow and Clyde, December 2018 to January 2023.

From: Faecal haemoglobin-based referral and investigation prioritisation is associated with colorectal cancer-specific survival in symptomatic patients: a retrospective observational study

  

Faecal immunochemical test faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) concentration (ug/g)

  

>399

80–399

10–79

<10

Submitted no valid result

Not submitted

p

padj

Patients

n (%)

6489 (5)

5269 (4)

15516 (12)

88,005 (69)

3573 (3)

8132 (7)

−

−

Patient characteristics

(% within rows)

        

Age (yrs)

Median (IQR)

61 (44–74)

65 (51–76)

66 (54–76)

57 (43–69)

61 (46–75)

63 (52–73)

<0.001

<0.001

Sex n(%)

M

3292 (6)

2405 (4)

6781 (13)

36,293 (67)

1725 (3)

3617 (7)

<0.001

<0.001

 

F

3197 (4)

2864 (4)

8735 (12)

51,712 (71)

1848 (3)

4515 (6)

  

SIMD quintile n(%)

1 (most deprived)

2377 (6)

1907 (5)

5661 (13)

28,103 (67)

597 (1)

3356 (8)

<0.001

<0.001

 

2

1233 (6)

1003 (4)

2947 (13)

15,988 (69)

272 (1)

1595 (7)

  
 

3

835 (6)

629 (4)

1849 (12)

11,046 (71)

178 (1)

933 (6)

  
 

4

868 (5)

706 (4)

2127 (12)

12,773 (73)

171 (1)

945 (5)

  
 

5 (least deprived)

1128 (4)

979 (4)

2809 (11)

19,175 (75)

188 (1)

1277 (5)

  

Year of entry to pathway n(%)

2019

707 (4)

654 (3)

2070 (11)

11,699 (62)

1186 (6)

2642 (14)

<0.001

<0.001

 

2020

1220 (6)

893 (4)

2524 (12)

14,491 (67)

625 (3)

1665 (8)

  
 

2021

1988 (6)

1577 (4)

4414 (12)

25,936 (71)

873 (2)

1852 (5)

  
 

2022

2574 (5)

2145 (4)

6508 (13)

35,879 (72)

889 (2)

1973 (4)

  

Anaemia n(%)a

No

4002 (72)

3115 (69)

9439 (70)

57,661 (81)

805 (71)

4880 (75)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Yes – not IDAb

776 (14)

785 (17)

2073 (16)

6572 (9)

197 (17)

887 (14)

  
 

Yes – IDAb

808 (14)

650 (14)

1896 (14)

6590 (9)

140 (12)

768 (12)

  

Pathway characteristics

(% within columns)

        

Referralc priority n(%)

USC

4405 (68)

3331 (63)

8693 (56)

10,616 (12)

192 (5)

8132 (100)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Urgent

1120 (17)

1071 (20)

3735 (24)

7506 (9)

130 (4)

−

  
 

Routine

356 (6)

305 (6)

1184 (8)

12356 (14)

132 (4)

−

  
 

None/not recorded

608 (9)

562 (11)

1904 (12)

57527 (65)

3119 (87)

−

  

OPD within 3 yearsd

No

1722 (27)

1731 (33)

5864 (38)

54,540 (62)

3094 (86)

2817 (35)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Yes

4767 (74)

3538 (67)

9652 (62)

33465 (38)

479 (13)

5315 (65)

  

Time to OPD (days)e

Median (IQR)

17 (8–43)

20 (9–49)

24 (10–56)

46 (14–163)

33 (9–119)

20 (10–46)

<0.001

<0.001

Scope within 3 yearsd

No

1360 (21)

1550 (29)

7450 (48)

76604 (87)

3346 (94)

6536 (80)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Yes

5129 (79)

3719 (71)

8066 (52)

11401 (13)

227 (6)

1596 (20)

  

Time to scope (days)e

Median (IQR)

28 (21–43)

38 (25–64)

58 (34–124)

218 (65–564)

66 (29–267)

31 (16–94)

<0.001

<0.001

CT scandf within 3 yearsd

No

4083 (63)

3378 (64)

10,573 (68)

73,868 (84)

3251 (91)

5515 (68)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Yes

2406 (37)

1891 (36)

4943 (32)

14137 (16)

322 (9)

2617 (32)

  

Time to CT scanf (days)e

Median (IQR)

71 (40–224)

87 (45–230)

114 (51–320)

203 (59–562)

104 (30–454)

43 (23–160)

<0.001

<0.001

CRC diagnosis within 3 years n(%)g

No

5866 (90)

5018 (95)

15,259 (98)

87842 (99.8)

3555 (99.5)

7991 (98)

<0.001

<0.001

 

Yes

623 (10)

251 (5)

257 (2)

163 (0.2)

18 (0.5)

141 (2)

  
  1. CRC colorectal cancer, CT computed tomography scan, F female, f-Hb faecal haemoglobin, FIT faecal immunochemical test, IQR interquartile range, M male, OPD outpatient department, SIMD Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, USC urgent suspicion of cancer.
  2. aM: Hb <130 mg/L, F: Hb<120 mg/L.
  3. bAnaemia and ferritin <30 ug/L.
  4. cPrimary care referral to Colorectal Surgery or Gastroenterology.
  5. d30 days before to 1095 days after submission of FIT (highest f-Hb concentration if >1 within 365 days) or referral and OPD appointment or test.
  6. eDefined as time in days between date of maximum f-Hb result or referral and date of OPD or investigation appointment.
  7. fCT pneumocolon, CT thorax and abdomen and pelvis, or CT abdomen and pelvis.
  8. gCRC diagnosis date recorded in cancer audit data between 30 days before and 1095 days after submission of FIT or referral (ICD10 codes C18, C19, C20).
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