Key clinical point: An increase in consultation rates for colorectal cancer (CRC)-relevant symptoms and abnormal blood test results in the 2-year prediagnosis period hint at early initiation of specific investigations or referrals, thereby accelerating the diagnosis and treatment in some patients with symptomatic CRC.
Major finding: The earliest clinical feature to show increased recording rate from the baseline was rectal bleeding, at 10 months before colon cancer diagnosis (95% CI 8.3-11.7) and 8 months before rectal cancer diagnosis (95% CI 6.1-9.9). The rate of abnormal blood measurements (low hemoglobin levels, high platelet counts, etc) recorded increased from 9 months prediagnosis.
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective study that analyzed linked primary care and cancer registry data of patients with colon (n = 5033) or rectal (2516) cancer.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research and linked to the CanTest Collaborative funded by Cancer Research UK. Four authors are a part of the CanTest Collaborative.
Source: Moullet M et al. Pre-diagnostic clinical features and blood tests in patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective linked-data study. Br J Gen Pract. 2022; 72(721):e556-e563 (Jul 28). Doi: 10.3399/BJGP.2021.0563