Analysing disparities in survival outcomes and health care resource utilisation in colorectal cancer
Project Details
This project sought to explore differences in survival and health care usage in patients with colorectal cancer. Analyses completed to address this project aim included:
- Identifying the pathways to diagnosis
This analysis mapped out the different pathways to diagnosis for patients in Victoria, highlighting where diagnostic delay may occur. The relationship between ‘time before treatment’ and patient outcomes was also assessed, showing that increased time to diagnosis / treatment where associated with poorer survival and increased stage at diagnosis.
- Identifying patterns in primary care activity prior to diagnosis
This analysis used the linked data to examine trends in blood test requests and abnormal results prior to diagnosis. It was shown that cancer patients present to primary care several months pre-diagnosis with increased requests for pathology, as well as increased abnormal results.
- Assessing differences in GP management of chronic diseases between cancer survivors and controls.
This analysis aimed to compare the management of type II diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease between cancer survivors and controls in general practice. It found only slight differences between survivors and controls, suggesting that colorectal cancer survivors are appropriately managed in general practice.
Patron ID: PAT027
Project Lead:
Patron data supported the analyses of attendances in primary care, including understanding reasons for encounter, key diagnostic milestones and engagement with primary care providers during and subsequent to treatment as indicators of outcomes and quality of life.
Research Outcomes
- AAAPC conference,
- AEA conference,
- Pathology Update conference,
- VCCC Conference and VCCC Lunch live seminar.
- Ca-PRI 2024 Conference - three presentations.
- Victorian Optimal Care Summit - February Colorectal Cancer summit.
Research Publications
"Trends in primary care blood tests prior to lung and colorectal cancer diagnosis-A retrospective cohort study using linked Australian data." Cancer Medicine. 2024 Jul;13(14): e70006
Drosdowsky, A., Lamb, KE., Te Marvelde, L., Gibbs, P., Dunn, C., Faragher, I., Jones, I., IJzerman, MJ., Emery, JD. (2025). Factors associated with diagnostic and treatment intervals in colorectal cancer: A linked data study. Int J Cancer, 2025; Mar 13 https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.35414
Rafiq, Meena; (2023) Identifying early signals of cancer from primary care electronic health records. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10183794/