Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

The 2-week rule for suspected head and neck cancer in the United Kingdom: Referral patterns., diagnostic efficacy of the guidelines and compliance

Lookup NU author(s): Dr David Meikle, Professor Peter Thomson, Andrew Welch, Professor Vinidh Paleri

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

A retrospective audit of 1079 2-week referrals between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2006 was undertaken. The aims of this audit were to assess compliance of referrals with Department of Health (DoH) guidelines; the effectiveness of the 2-week referral route in detecting head and neck cancers, and to determine whether this route identified more early stage cancers. Of 1079 2-week referrals, 71.5% conformed to DoH criteria. DoH guidelines were found to have a high sensitivity of 83.9% (75.5-89.7%, 95% Cl) for head and neck cancer, but a low positive predictive value of 12.8% (10.5-15.3%) and a specificity of 30.0% (27.2-33.1%). Only 10.9% of 2-week referrals were diagnosed with a head and neck cancer. The cancer detection rate was higher amongst referrals that conformed to DoH guidelines (12.8%) compared to those that did not 6.2%. This was statistically significant (Chi square, p


Publication metadata

Author(s): Mckie C, Ahmad UA, Fellows S, Meikle D, Stafford FW, Thomson PJ, Welch AR, Paleri V

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Oral Oncology

Year: 2008

Volume: 44

Issue: 9

Pages: 851-856

ISSN (print): 1368-8375

ISSN (electronic): 1741-9409

Publisher: Pergamon

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2007.10.010

DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2007.10.010


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Share