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Background <p>Abnormal results in commonly used primary care blood tests could be early markers of cancer in patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.</p> Methods <p>Using linked data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and national cancer registry we compared blood test use and abnormal results from the 24-months pre-diagnosis in 10,575 cancer patients (any site), and 52,875 matched-controls aged ≥30 presenting, with abdominal pain or bloating to primary care.</p> Results <p>Cancer patients had two-fold increased odds of having a blood test (odds ratio(OR):1.51–2.29) and 2-3-fold increased odds of having an abnormal blood test result (OR:2.42–3.30) in the year pre-diagnosis compared to controls. Raised inflammatory markers were the most common abnormality (74–79% of tested cases). Rates of blood test use and abnormal results progressively increased from 7 months pre-diagnosis in cancer patients, with relatively small corresponding increases in symptomatic controls. In cancer patients, the largest increases from baseline were raised platelets in males with abdominal pain (increased 33-fold), raised white blood cell count in males with abdominal bloating (increased 37-fold) and low albumin in females with either symptom (increased 22–41 fold).</p> Conclusions <p>Common blood test abnormalities are early signals of cancer in some individuals with non-specific abdominal symptoms and could support expedited cancer diagnosis.</p> <p></p>

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A UK population-based case-control study of blood tests before cancer diagnosis in patients with non-specific abdominal symptoms

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月11日

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  • Meena Rafiq,
  • Becky White,
  • Matthew Barclay,
  • Gary Abel,
  • Cristina Renzi,
  • Georgios Lyratzopoulos

摘要

Background

Abnormal results in commonly used primary care blood tests could be early markers of cancer in patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.

Methods

Using linked data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and national cancer registry we compared blood test use and abnormal results from the 24-months pre-diagnosis in 10,575 cancer patients (any site), and 52,875 matched-controls aged ≥30 presenting, with abdominal pain or bloating to primary care.

Results

Cancer patients had two-fold increased odds of having a blood test (odds ratio(OR):1.51–2.29) and 2-3-fold increased odds of having an abnormal blood test result (OR:2.42–3.30) in the year pre-diagnosis compared to controls. Raised inflammatory markers were the most common abnormality (74–79% of tested cases). Rates of blood test use and abnormal results progressively increased from 7 months pre-diagnosis in cancer patients, with relatively small corresponding increases in symptomatic controls. In cancer patients, the largest increases from baseline were raised platelets in males with abdominal pain (increased 33-fold), raised white blood cell count in males with abdominal bloating (increased 37-fold) and low albumin in females with either symptom (increased 22–41 fold).

Conclusions

Common blood test abnormalities are early signals of cancer in some individuals with non-specific abdominal symptoms and could support expedited cancer diagnosis.