The prediagnostic general practitioner care of sarcoma patients: A real-world data study.
Publication year
2024Source
Journal of Surgical Oncology, 130, 2, (2024), pp. 265-275ISSN
Annotation
01 augustus 2024
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Primary and Community Care
Journal title
Journal of Surgical Oncology
Volume
vol. 130
Issue
iss. 2
Page start
p. 265
Page end
p. 275
Subject
Primary and Community Care - Radboud University Medical CenterAbstract
BACKGROUND: Limited understanding exists regarding early sarcoma symptoms presented during general practitioner (GP) consultations. The study explores GP visit patterns and recorded diagnoses in the 12 months preceding sarcoma diagnosis. METHODS: Sarcoma cases diagnosed from 2010 to 2020 were identified through the Netherlands Cancer Registry alongside general practice data. Sarcoma cases were age and gender matched to cancer-free controls (2:1 or 1:1 ratio). RESULTS: A total of 787 individuals with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) and 188 individuals with bone sarcoma (BS) were identified. There was a significant difference in monthly GP contacts from 4 months to the last month before STS diagnosis, and 2 months before BS diagnosis between cases and controls. Most prevalent diagnoses recorded by the GP for STS cases included musculoskeletal neoplasm (26.6%), uncomplicated hypertension (15.6%), and cystitis/other urinary infections (12.2%). For BS cases, musculoskeletal neoplasm (42.8%), knee symptoms/complaints (9.7%), and shoulder symptoms/complaints (9.7%) were most frequent. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION: A significant difference in GP contacts between cases and controls preceding sarcoma diagnosis. STS cases were predominantly diagnosed with nonspecific symptoms, whereas BS cases with diagnoses more suggestive of BS. Better understanding of the prediagnostic trajectory could aid GPs in early identification of sarcoma.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [245050]
- Electronic publications [132309]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [93209]
- Open Access publications [105918]
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