The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer
<strong>Introduction</strong> Cancer survival in England lags behind most European countries, due partly to lower rates of early stage diagnosis. We report the protocol for the evaluation of a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre-based pathway for the investigation of ‘low-risk but not no...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2018
|
| _version_ | 1797067507853426688 |
|---|---|
| author | Nicholson, B Oke, J Friedemann Smith, C Phillips, J Lee, J Abel, L Kelly, S Gould, I Mackay, T Kavenery, Z Anthony, S Hayles, S Lasserson, D Gleeson, F |
| author_facet | Nicholson, B Oke, J Friedemann Smith, C Phillips, J Lee, J Abel, L Kelly, S Gould, I Mackay, T Kavenery, Z Anthony, S Hayles, S Lasserson, D Gleeson, F |
| author_sort | Nicholson, B |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <strong>Introduction</strong> Cancer survival in England lags behind most European countries, due partly to lower rates of early stage diagnosis. We report the protocol for the evaluation of a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre-based pathway for the investigation of ‘low-risk but not no-risk’ cancer symptoms called the Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway. SCAN is a new standard of care being implemented in Oxfordshire; one of a number of pathways implemented during the second wave of the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme, an initiative which aims to improve England’s cancer survival rates through establishing effective routes to early diagnosis. <strong>Methods and analysis</strong> To evaluate SCAN, we are collating a prospective database of patients referred onto the pathway by their general practitioner (GP). Patients aged over 40 years, with non-specific symptoms such as weight loss or fatigue, who do not meet urgent cancer referral criteria or for whom symptom causation remains unclear after investigation via other existing pathways, can be referred to SCAN. SCAN provides rapid CT scanning, laboratory testing and clinic review within 2 weeks. We will follow all patients in the primary and secondary care record for at least 2 years. The data will be used to understand the diagnostic yield of the SCAN pathway in the short term (28 days) and the long term (2 years). Routinely collected primary and secondary care data from patients not referred to SCAN but with similar symptoms will also be used to evaluate SCAN. We will map the routes to diagnosis for patients referred to SCAN to assess cost-effectiveness. Acceptability will be evaluated using patient and GP surveys. <strong>Ethics and dissemination</strong> The Oxford Joint Research Office Study Classification Group has judged this to be a service evaluation and so outside of research governance. The results of this project will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publication and presentation at conferences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:57:17Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:4d594596-2ec1-4082-81e6-5c8e3d9867b2 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:57:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:4d594596-2ec1-4082-81e6-5c8e3d9867b22022-03-26T15:54:59ZThe Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancerJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:4d594596-2ec1-4082-81e6-5c8e3d9867b2Symplectic Elements at OxfordBMJ Publishing Group2018Nicholson, BOke, JFriedemann Smith, CPhillips, JLee, JAbel, LKelly, SGould, IMackay, TKavenery, ZAnthony, SHayles, SLasserson, DGleeson, F<strong>Introduction</strong> Cancer survival in England lags behind most European countries, due partly to lower rates of early stage diagnosis. We report the protocol for the evaluation of a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre-based pathway for the investigation of ‘low-risk but not no-risk’ cancer symptoms called the Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway. SCAN is a new standard of care being implemented in Oxfordshire; one of a number of pathways implemented during the second wave of the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme, an initiative which aims to improve England’s cancer survival rates through establishing effective routes to early diagnosis. <strong>Methods and analysis</strong> To evaluate SCAN, we are collating a prospective database of patients referred onto the pathway by their general practitioner (GP). Patients aged over 40 years, with non-specific symptoms such as weight loss or fatigue, who do not meet urgent cancer referral criteria or for whom symptom causation remains unclear after investigation via other existing pathways, can be referred to SCAN. SCAN provides rapid CT scanning, laboratory testing and clinic review within 2 weeks. We will follow all patients in the primary and secondary care record for at least 2 years. The data will be used to understand the diagnostic yield of the SCAN pathway in the short term (28 days) and the long term (2 years). Routinely collected primary and secondary care data from patients not referred to SCAN but with similar symptoms will also be used to evaluate SCAN. We will map the routes to diagnosis for patients referred to SCAN to assess cost-effectiveness. Acceptability will be evaluated using patient and GP surveys. <strong>Ethics and dissemination</strong> The Oxford Joint Research Office Study Classification Group has judged this to be a service evaluation and so outside of research governance. The results of this project will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publication and presentation at conferences. |
| spellingShingle | Nicholson, B Oke, J Friedemann Smith, C Phillips, J Lee, J Abel, L Kelly, S Gould, I Mackay, T Kavenery, Z Anthony, S Hayles, S Lasserson, D Gleeson, F The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title | The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title_full | The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title_fullStr | The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title_short | The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer |
| title_sort | suspected cancer scan pathway protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non specific symptoms of cancer |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicholsonb thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT okej thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT friedemannsmithc thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT phillipsj thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT leej thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT abell thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT kellys thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT gouldi thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT mackayt thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT kaveneryz thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT anthonys thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT hayless thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT lassersond thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT gleesonf thesuspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT nicholsonb suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT okej suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT friedemannsmithc suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT phillipsj suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT leej suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT abell suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT kellys suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT gouldi suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT mackayt suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT kaveneryz suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT anthonys suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT hayless suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT lassersond suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer AT gleesonf suspectedcancerscanpathwayprotocolforevaluatinganewstandardofcareforpatientswithnonspecificsymptomsofcancer |