Do colorectal cancer patients diagnosed as an emergency differ from non-emergency patients in their consultation patterns and symptoms?: a longitudinal data-linkage study in England

Background: More than 20% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed following an emergency presentation. We aimed to examine pre-diagnostic primary care consultations and related symptoms comparing patients diagnosed as emergencies with those diagnosed through nonemergency routes. Methods: Cohort study of colorectal cancers diagnosed in England 2005-06 using cancer registration data individually linked to primary care data (CPRD/GPRD), allowing a detailed analysis of clinical information referring to the 5-year pre-diagnostic period. Results: Emergency diagnosis occurred in 35% and 15% of the 1029 colon and 577 rectal cancers. ‘Background’ primary care consultations (2-5 years before diagnosis) were similar for either group. In the year before diagnosis, more than 95% of emergency and non-emergency presenters had consulted their doctor, but emergency presenters had less frequently relevant symptoms (colon cancer: 48% versus 71% (p