Pre-diagnostic clinical features and blood tests in patients with colorectal cancer: a retrospective linked-data study (6 June 2022)

Summary

This retrospective cohort study in the British Journal of General Practice aimed to identify opportunities for timely investigations or referrals in patients presenting with potential symptoms of colon and rectal cancer, or abnormal blood tests.

The study found evidence that patients with these cancers presented with low haemoglobin, high platelets and high inflammatory markers as early as nine months pre-diagnosis, and the authors suggest that starting cancer-specific investigations or referrals earlier may be beneficial in patients with some of these diagnostic markers.