Characteristics and outcome in patients with non-specific symptoms and signs of cancer referred to a fast track cancer patient pathway; a retrospective cohort study

Table 2 Investigational course, P-value representing a test for difference

	All	Cancer^a	No-cancer^a	P-value
	N = 825	N = 138	N = 687
Length of investigational course in days median (IQR)^b	9 (1–15)	10 (1–16)	9 (1–15)	0.699
Number of visits at the NSSC-CPP median (IQR)	2 (1–2)	2 (1–2)	2 (1–2)	0.960
Diagnostic imaging used during or prior to the investigational course %(n)
CT	39.0 (322)	42.8 (59)	38.3 (263)	0.326
FDG-PET/CT	30.4 (251)	38.4 (53)	28.8 (198)	0.026
Ultrasound	16.0 (132)	10.9 (15)	17.0 (117)	0.072
MRI	5.3 (44)	2.9 (4)	5.8 (40)	0.163
No advanced imaging	23.3 (192)	22.5 (31)	23.4 (161)	0.805
Pathological examinations and endoscopies performed during investigational course %(n)
Bone marrow	13.3 (110)	21.7 (30)	11.6 (80)	0.002
Lymph node extirpation	2.8 (23)	9.4 (13)	1.5 (10)	<0.001
Lower endoscopy^c	9.9 (82)	8.0 (11)	10.3 (71)	0.397
Upper endoscopy^c	9.6 (79)	5.0 (7)	10.5 (72)	0.049

^aCancer or no-cancer within one year after ended diagnostic examination, ^bFrom date of first visit, ^cWith or without biopsy. There are less than 5% missing values in every variable except for LDH (5.6%) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Ratio (48.8%)

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