Bowel cancer red flags missed, research warns

Research published in the British Journal of Cancer has highlighted that one in five bowl cancer patients diagnosed in an emergency had ‘red flag’ symptoms previous to the diagnosis which should have been picked up earlier.

The study, carried out by University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, examined data on 1,606 diagnoses in England from 2005 and 2006 from the National Cancer Registry.

It found that 35 per cent of colon cancers and 15 per cent of rectal cancers were diagnosed after an emergency orientation, while 16 per cent of emergency bowel cancer patients had seen their GP three times or more with relevant symptoms.

Cristina Renzi, lead researcher from University College London, commented: “In most cases they visit their doctor for various reasons multiple times during the months leading up to their diagnosis, which could represent opportunities to diagnose the cancer earlier.

"It's important to find ways to ensure these patients can be diagnosed at an early stage.

"And this study highlights the need to support GPs and give them the tools to diagnose and refer patients promptly when they feel it's necessary."

Dr Julie Sharp, head of patient information and health at Cancer Research UK, welcomed the study: “Research like this, to understand more about people's symptom histories, is crucial to find better ways to diagnose the disease at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful."