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Table 2 Symptoms, abnormal clinical findings and abnormal diagnostic test results among included patients at referral

From: The Danish cancer pathway for patients with serious non-specific symptoms and signs of cancer–a cross-sectional study of patient characteristics and cancer probability

 

Total (n = 1269)

Patients with cancer n (%)

Symptoms at referral

  

Weight loss

671 (52.5 %)

104 (15.5 %)

Fatigue

642 (50.2 %)

102 (15.9 %)

Pain

468 (36.6 %)

86 (18.4 %)

Nausea

352 (27.5 %)

65 (18.5 %)

Malaise

314 (24.7 %)

59 (18.8 %)

Vertigo

174 (13.6 %)

29 (16.7 %)

Change in bowel habits

137 (10.7 %)

24 (17.5 %)

Excessive sweating

128 (10.0 %)

15 (12.5 %)

Cough

114 (8.9 %)

15 (13.2 %)

Lump/tumour

108 (8.5 %)

29 (26.9 %)

No symptom

33 (2.6 %)

7 (21.2 %)

Abnormal clinical findings at referral

  

Affected general condition

457 (35.8 %)

80 (17.5 %)

GP’s ‘gut feeling’

287 (22.5 %)

69 (24.0 %)

Abdomen

166 (13.0 %)

35 (21.1 %)

Skin

61 (4.8 %)

12 (19.7 %)

Extremity

56 (4.4 %)

10 (17.9 %)

Lungs

51 (4.0 %)

7 (13.7 %)

Lymph node

44 (3.4 %)

12 (27.3 %)

Weight loss

35 (2.7 %)

3 (8.8 %)

Joints

31 (2.4 %)

3 (9.7 %)

Neurological dysfunction

30 (2.4 %)

8 (26.7 %)

Abnormal diagnostic test results at referral

 

Blood sample at GP

619 (48.4 %)

104 (16.8 %)

Blood sample at hospital

253 (19.8 %)

37 (14.6 %)

Diagnostic imaging

192 (15.0 %)

32 (16.7 %)

Urine sample

2 (0.2 %)

1 (50.0 %)