Time intervals in the pathway to emergency cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Aim: Evidence on time-based metrics for cancers diagnosed through emergency presentation is lacking. We examined the duration of intervals from first symptoms to cancer diagnosis in the emergency versus primary care (PC) presentation route. Methods: Retrospective study of outpatients diagnosed with 15 solid cancers over 5 years. The outcome was the length of prediagnostic intervals by diagnostic route. Results: Median intervals in emergency presenters (n = 3167) were shorter than in PC presenters (n = 2215). However, intervals in emergency presenters with three or more prior PC consultations were similar to PC but remarkably longer than in those with one or two and no consultations. Conclusion: As we provide new interval measures for the emergency diagnostic pathway, results highlight the contribution of prior consultations to interval lengths.