
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
This study was done to learn more about how and why cancer is sometimes diagnosed after people are admitted to hospital as an emergency.
The number of people diagnosed in A&E is particularly high in London and researchers wanted to understand more about why this happens.
In this small study, they interviewed people who had been diagnosed with cancer after going into hospital as an emergency. They wanted to find out more about their experiences leading up to their diagnosis and if they had seen their GP.
The researchers hoped that the information they collected could help to develop cancer services in the future.
The study team found that most people diagnosed at hospital as an emergency had already visited their GP several times with symptoms.
The researchers interviewed 27 people. They had been diagnosed with a number of different cancer types such as bowel cancer or lung cancer. Their ages ranged from 18 to 92.
The researchers asked what had led them to go to hospital as an emergency and about their healthcare experiences. Of the 27 people
The study team looked at these 23 people to find out more about their experiences. The main findings were that:
Based on the above, the study team made some recommendations to help prevent possible delays in diagnosis. These include:
The study team concluded that the experiences of people being diagnosed at hospital as an emergency were quite different to the usual way people with cancer are diagnosed.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Georgia Black
Department of Health
London Cancer
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University College London (UCL)
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”