Potential pitfall: Jaundice can be a classic symptom of pancreatic cancer; about half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their GP. Yet, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary or may be late, vague and non-specific. Helpful hint:...
Tuesday 15th September 2020 It’s World Lymphoma Awareness Day. Why not increase your knowledge and complete our free online Lymphoma – Early Diagnosis course supported by Lymphoma Action? Lymphoma has many non-site specific symptoms and patients can often visit...
Potential pitfall: Jaundice can be a classic symptom of pancreatic cancer; about half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their GP. Yet, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary or may be late, vague and non-specific. Helpful hint:...
Potential pitfall: Faecal calprotectin testing is an incredibly sensitive investigation for detecting the presence of inflammation. It is raised in a wide variety of conditions including malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease and alcohol misuse. It is therefore not...
Whilst FIT can be a good indicator of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and sometimes precursors of cancer, some symptomatic patients can still have false negative results. With this in mind, how should you proceed?
A normal result can miss colorectal cancer, as can a colonoscopy. Reassess patients with a negative FIT result who continue to experience symptoms. Consider referral onto a vague symptoms pathway or tests for other bowel conditions.
Safety netting for symptomatic patients with negative FIT results include ensuring patients are aware they need to come back if they continue to experience symptoms and keep their own record through the use of a symptom diary.
Download this Cancer Key here.
Access GatewayC’s course on FIT here.