PLOS MED: Can cancer investigation be conducted through a simple blood test?

Unexpected weight loss (UWL) is a manifestation of cancer, and there is currently no consensus on the most appropriate investigative strategy in primary care

Consensus UWL patients recorded by primary care physicians are more likely to be diagnosed with the following cancers within 3 months : pancreatic cancer , unknown primary cancer, gastroesophageal cancer, lymphoma , liver and gallbladder, lung, intestine, and kidney

Since most UWL patients who go to primary medical institutions do not suffer from cancer, it is necessary to adopt diagnostic strategies for patients with a lower risk of cancer to avoid unnecessary invasive and expensive investigations

Previous work has shown that individual common clinical features will increase the possibility of cancer, which is enough to rule out cancer screening

In order to determine which clinical features can be used together to stratify UWL patients according to cancer risk, more complex combinations may change cancer risk, thereby fully eliminating the need for investigation

The researchers used data from 63,973 adults (average age 59, standard deviation 21 years; 42% male) to predict a large representative primary care electronic health record in the UK from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012 Cancers in UWL patients recorded in

The decision curve analysis compares the three models in terms of net benefits (Figure 2a) and avoidance surveys (Figure 2b)

The results showed that compared with Sm, STm and Tm showed better resolution (AUC≥0.

The results showed that compared with Sm, STm and Tm showed better resolution (AUC≥0.

A Tm score of 5 points can balance the exclusion (sensitivity 84.

The decision curve analysis compares the three models in terms of net benefits (Figure 2a) and avoidance surveys (Figure 2b)

In summary, the results of the study show that a simple combination of abnormal blood tests can be used to identify UWL patients who need to be referred for investigation, while people with a combination of normal results can be exempt from referral

In summary, the results of the study show that a simple combination of abnormal blood tests can be used to identify UWL patients who need to be referred for investigation, while people with a combination of normal results can be exempt from referral

references:

Combining simple blood tests to identify primary care patients with unexpected weight loss for cancer investigation: Clinical risk score development, internal validation, and net benefit analysis.

Combining simple blood tests to identify primary care patients with unexpected weight loss for cancer investigation: Clinical risk score development, internal validation, and net benefit analysis.


Leave a message here