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. 2015 Jan 20;112(4):676–687. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2014.634

Table 2. Primary-care investigations and primary-care interval, by cancer.

 
 
All
Colorectal
Ovarian
Lung
Oesophageal
Pancreatic
Stomach
    N Mean Median N Mean Median N Mean Median N Mean Median N Mean Median N Mean Median N Mean Median
Any investigation in primary care Noa 1838 17.4 0 967 18.6 0 105 7.5 0 294 17.1 1 293 15.5 0 81 15.5 0 98 24.9 0
 
Yes
3198
41.2
16
1144
45.3
17
240
27.7
13
1200
38.9
16
220
40.7
21
246
38.8
13
148
55.3
22
Blood test No 2996 26.3 4 1140 23.4 1 195 19.5 2 1058 32.6 11 350 19.4 1 122 23 0 131 32.7 2
 
Yes
2040
41.6
15
971
44.4
16
150
24.1
13
436
39.5
17
163
41.2
21
205
39
12
115
55.2
21
Chest X-ray No 3908 31.4 6 2070 33 6 327 21.1 7 464 31.9 7 494 25.9 4 314 31.5 7 239 42.8 12
 
Yes
1128
36.2
16
41
36.3
12
18
29.2
15.5
1030
35.8
15
19
37
27
13
68.9
39
7
56.6
19
Ultrasound No 4546 30.9 7 1979 31.8 5 186 14.4 2 1455 34.3 13 497 25.3 5 211 20.8 3 218 35.7 9
 
Yes
490
47.7
20
132
50.8
21.5
159
29.9
14
39
44.3
22
16
56.8
33
116
55.3
21
28
101.5
57
CT/MRI No 4928 31.9 8 2094 32.5 6 338 20.9 7 1420 33.6 12 511 26.3 6 320 33.2 7 245 43.4 13
 
Yes
108
56.9
35
17
95.1
39
7
54.1
34
74
52.9
35
2
20.5
20.5
7
26
13
1
5
5
Endoscopy No 4861 31.4 8 2022 31.1 5 341 21.7 7 1484 34.4 13 478 25.1 5 314 30.8 7 222 43.5 12
 
Yes
175
63.1
20
89
76.7
20
4
7.5
7.5
10
56.4
40.5
35
43.2
15
13
86.7
49
24
40.5
19.5
Count of any of the above five investigations 0a 1952 19.5 0 1031 20 0 108 8.3 0 312 22.4 2 315 17.7 0 82 15.9 0 104 25.9 0.5
  1 2301 38.7 14 923 42.4 14 147 30.1 11 809 37.7 14 162 37.3 15 148 22.9 7.5 112 49.4 23
  2+ 783 46.9 21 157 63.9 23 90 23.3 14 373 38.1 20 36 52.1 32.5 97 63 22 30 79.8 21

Abbreviations: CT=computed tomography; MRI=magnetic resonance tomography.

a

The numbers in these two groups are slightly different as the first two rows include patients who have had any investigation in primary care, but the bottom three rows are counts based only on the five listed investigations (blood tests, chest X-rays, ultrasound, CT/MRI, or endoscopy).