Dataset Information

Primary Care Use before Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents and Young Adults - A Nationwide Register Study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Survival rates of cancer patients have generally improved in recent years. However, children and older adults seem to have experienced more significant clinical benefits than adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Previous studies suggest a prolonged diagnostic pathway in AYAs, but little is known about their pre-diagnostic healthcare use. This study investigates the use of primary care among AYAs during the two years preceding a cancer diagnosis.

Methods

The study is a retrospective population-based matched cohort study using Danish nationwide registry data. All persons diagnosed with cancer during 2002-2011 in the age group 15-39 years were included (N = 12,306); each participant was matched on gender, age and general practice with 10 randomly selected references (N = 123,060). The use of primary healthcare services (face-to-face contacts, blood tests and psychometric tests) was measured during the two years preceding the diagnosis (index date), and collected data were analysed in a negative binomial regression model.

Results

The cases generally increased their use of primary care already from 8 months before a cancer diagnosis, whereas a similar trend was not found for controls. The increase was observed for all cancer types, but it started at different times: 17 months before a diagnosis of CNS tumour, 12 months before a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, 9 months before a diagnosis of lymphoma, 5-6 months before a diagnosis of leukaemia, bone tumour or GCT, and 3 months before a diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

Conclusion

The use of primary care among AYAs increase several months before a cancer diagnosis. The diagnostic intervals are generally short for malignant melanomas and long for brain tumours. A prolonged diagnostic pathway may indicate non-specific or vague symptomatology and low awareness of cancer among AYAs primary-care personnel. The findings suggest potential of faster cancer diagnosis in AYAs.

SUBMITTER: Ahrensberg JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4874574 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Primary Care Use before Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents and Young Adults - A Nationwide Register Study.

Ahrensberg Jette Møller JM Fenger-Grøn Morten M Vedsted Peter P

PloS one 20160520 5

<h4>Introduction</h4>Survival rates of cancer patients have generally improved in recent years. However, children and older adults seem to have experienced more significant clinical benefits than adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Previous studies suggest a prolonged diagnostic pathway in AYAs, but little is known about their pre-diagnostic healthcare use. This study investigates the use of primary care among AYAs during the two years preceding a cancer diagnosis.<h4>Methods</h4>The study is a ...[more]

PMID: 27203083

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Project description:BackgroundYoung adults with hypertension have the lowest prevalence of controlled blood pressure compared to middle-aged and older adults. Uncontrolled hypertension, even among young adults, increases future cardiovascular event risk. However, antihypertensive medication initiation is poorly understood among young adults and may be an important intervention point for this group.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare rates and predictors of antihypertensive medication initiation between young adults and middle-aged and older adults with incident hypertension and regular primary care contact.DesignA retrospective analysisParticipantsAdults ? 18 years old (n?=?10,022) with incident hypertension and no prior antihypertensive prescription, who received primary care at a large, Midwestern, academic practice from 2008-2011.Main measuresThe primary outcome was time from date of meeting hypertension criteria to antihypertensive medication initiation, or blood pressure normalization without medication. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the probability of antihypertensive medication initiation over time. Cox proportional-hazard models (HR; 95% CI) were fit to identify predictors of delays in medication initiation, with a subsequent subpopulation analysis for young adults (18-39 years old).Key resultsAfter a mean follow-up of 20 (±13) months, 34% of 18-39 year-olds with hypertension met the endpoint, compared to 44% of 40-59 year-olds and 56% of ? 60 year-olds. Adjusting for patient and provider factors, 18-39 year-olds had a 44% slower rate of medication initiation (HR 0.56; 0.47-0.67) than ? 60 year-olds. Among young adults, males, patients with mild hypertension, and White patients had a slower rate of medication initiation. Young adults with Medicaid and more clinic visits had faster rates.ConclusionsEven with regular primary care contact and continued elevated blood pressure, young adults had slower rates of antihypertensive medication initiation than middle-aged and older adults. Interventions are needed to address multifactorial barriers contributing to poor hypertension control among young adults.

Dataset Information

Primary Care Use before Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents and Young Adults - A Nationwide Register Study.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Primary Care Use before Cancer Diagnosis in Adolescents and Young Adults - A Nationwide Register Study.

Similar Datasets

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