Symptom prevalence and positive predictive values for colorectal cancer (CRC), higher- risk adenoma (HRA) and IBD in patients referred from primary care who were investigated for bowel symptoms (n=755)
| Total | CRC | HRA | IBD | CRC+HRA+IBD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
| Prevalence of symptoms | ||||||||||
| Altered bowel habit | 323 | 42.8 | 7 | 25.0 | 13 | 31.7 | 7 | 20.6 | 27 | 26.2 |
| Rectal bleeding | 258 | 34.2 | 11 | 39.3 | 20 | 48.8 | 23 | 67.6 | 54 | 52.4 |
| Diarrhoea | 127 | 16.8 | 3 | 10.7 | 6 | 14.6 | 9 | 26.5 | 18 | 17.5 |
| Anaemia | 67 | 8.9 | 6 | 21.4 | 2 | 4.9 | 2 | 5.9 | 10 | 9.7 |
| Abdominal pain | 83 | 11.0 | 3 | 10.7 | 5 | 12.2 | 2 | 5.9 | 10 | 9.7 |
| Weight loss | 7 | 0.9 | 1 | 3.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Mass | 2 | 0.3 | 1 | 3.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Number of patients | 755 | 28 | 41 | 34 | 103 | |||||
| Positive predictive values | ||||||||||
| Altered bowel habit | 323 | 42.8 | 7 | 2.2 | 13 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.2 | 27 | 8.4 |
| Rectal bleeding | 258 | 34.2 | 11 | 4.3 | 20 | 7.8 | 23 | 8.9 | 54 | 21.0 |
| Diarrhoea | 127 | 16.8 | 3 | 2.4 | 6 | 4.7 | 9 | 7.1 | 18 | 14.2 |
| Anaemia | 67 | 8.9 | 6 | 9.0 | 2 | 3.0 | 2 | 3.0 | 10 | 15.2 |
| Abdominal pain | 83 | 11.0 | 3 | 3.6 | 5 | 6.0 | 2 | 2.4 | 10 | 12.0 |
| Weight loss | 7 | 0.9 | 1 | 14.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 14.3 |
| Mass | 2 | 0.3 | 1 | 50.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 50.0 |
| Number of patients | 755 | 28 | 41 | 34 | 103 | |||||