2024-07-30 18:17:01
A study conducted by researchers from the University College London (UCL) advises that routine blood tests can speed up the diagnosis of cancer in people with abdominal pain or bloating. Published in ‘PLOS Medicine‘, the study analyzed data from more than 400,000 people 30 years and over in the UK who have visited a GP because of abdominal pain and more than 50,000 who have visited their GP because of bloating. Two thirds of this group had blood tests after their appointment.
Among the key findings, the study indicates that if we consider abnormal results from these tests, there could be a 16% increase in urgent referrals for unknown cancer cases.
In addition, among the 19 analyzes studied, abnormalities such as anemia, low albumin levels, and elevated platelets are associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially in people over 60 years old.
Doctor Meena Rafiq, the lead author of the study, highlighted the need for automated tools that help doctors interpret analytical data and improve early cancer detection. The study suggests that by including blood test results in the evaluation, prompt referrals for treatment may be especially important.
In the United Kingdom, the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states that people should get an urgent cancer referral (ie referred to a specialist or for testing) if their cancer risk is greater than 3%.
In the study, the researchers found that people aged 60 years or older who presented to their primary care physician with abdominal pain or bloating were at a higher risk to warrant urgent referral to an oncology center (ie risk they are greater than 3%), without blood test results. Currently, in the United Kingdom, people over 60 plus stomach pain or bloating They are referred to the oncology center only if they have a possible sign of additional cancer, such as weight loss.
The risk of cancer is estimated to be 3.1% for men aged 60 years who report abdominal pain, and increases to 8.6% for men aged 80 years who report this symptom. For women in these age groups, the risk is 3.1%, increasing to 6.1%.
The researchers warn that the incidence of cancer will be higher in the study sample than among the wider group of people who experience abdominal pain or bloating and who do not necessarily go to their GP or have blood tests.
blood markers
In the UK study samples, researchers found that among people aged 30 to 59 years with abdominal pain or bloating, anemia, low albumin levels, elevated platelets, abnormal ferritin, and increased symptoms the potential risk of cancer is unknown.
For example, in women aged 50 to 59 years with gastric cancer, the risk of cancer before the blood test increased from 1.6% to 10% with high ferritin, to 9% with low albumin, to 8% with elevated platelets, 6% with elevated inflammatory markers and 4% with anemia.
Half of people with undiagnosed cancer will first go to the doctor with symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose.
Currently, guidelines for referring patients to a cancer specialist only with increased platelets and blood. The guidelines, the researchers note, focus on the presence of “alert” symptoms and the risk of cancer in one organ, and there is limited guidance for symptoms that may be a sign of cancer in many different organs.
Rafiq added that “half of people with undetected cancer will first go to the doctor with symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose. Many of these patients are diagnosed in primary care with commonly used blood tests that can help identify which patients are most likely to have colon cancer and should be. joy for its derivative. “This study shows that common tests can improve cancer risk assessment.”
The study also shows what type of cancer is most common in people with these symptoms and how this varies by age and sex. In general, the Colon cancer is the most common, followed by prostate and pancreatic cancer in mens, while in women colon cancer is followed by breast and ovarian cancer.
#simple #blood #test #diagnoses #stomach #cancer