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Pre-diagnostic prescribing patterns in dyspnoea patients with as-yet-undiagnosed lung cancer: A longitudinal study of linked primary care and cancer registry data

Wickramasinghe, Bethany; Renzi, Cristina; Barclay, Matthew; Callister, Matthew EJ; Rafiq, Meena; Lyratzopoulos, Georgios; (2023) Pre-diagnostic prescribing patterns in dyspnoea patients with as-yet-undiagnosed lung cancer: A longitudinal study of linked primary care and cancer registry data. Cancer Epidemiology , 86 , Article 102429. 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102429. Green open access

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Abstract

Introduction: Patients with as-yet undiagnosed lung cancer (LC) can present to primary care with non-specific symptoms such as dyspnoea, often in the context of pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Related medication prescriptions pre-diagnosis might represent opportunities for earlier diagnosis, but UK evidence is limited. Consequently, we explored prescribing patterns of relevant medications in patients who presented with dyspnoea in primary care and were subsequently diagnosed with LC. // Method: Linked primary care (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) and National Cancer Registry data were used to identify 5434 patients with incident LC within a year of a dyspnoea presentation in primary care between 2006 and 2016. Primary care prescriptions relevant to dyspnoea management were examined: antibiotics, inhaled medications, oral steroids, and opioid analgesics. Poisson regression models estimated monthly prescribing rates during the year pre-diagnosis. Variation by COPD status (52 % pre-existing, 36 % COPD-free, 12 % new-onset) was examined. Inflection points were identified indicating when prescribing rates changed from the background rate. // Results: 63 % of patients received 1 or more relevant prescriptions 1–12 months pre-diagnosis. Pre-existing COPD patients were most prescribed inhaled medications. COPD-free and new-onset COPD patients were most prescribed antibiotics. Most patients received 2 or more relevant prescriptions. Monthly prescribing rates of all medications increased towards time of diagnosis in all patient groups and were highest in pre-existing COPD patients. Increases in prescribing activity were observed earliest in pre-existing COPD patients 5 months pre-diagnosis for inhaled medications, antibiotics, and steroids. // Conclusion: Results indicate that a diagnostic window of appreciable length exists for potential earlier LC diagnosis in some patients. Lung cancer diagnosis may be delayed if early symptoms are misattributed to COPD or other benign conditions.

Type: Article
Title: Pre-diagnostic prescribing patterns in dyspnoea patients with as-yet-undiagnosed lung cancer: A longitudinal study of linked primary care and cancer registry data
Location: Netherlands
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102429
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2023.102429
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Lung cancer; COPD; Diagnostic window; Pre-diagnostic prescribing; Primary care
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10174189
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