Examining diagnostic pathways for people with early-onset colorectal cancer using linked primary care, cancer registry and health administrative datasets

Project Details

The incidence of colorectal cancer in people aged younger than 50, early-onset colorectal cancer (eoCRC), is increasing globally. In addition to growing number of people affected by this disease, younger adults tend to have later stage disease at diagnosis than their older counterparts. Delayed time to diagnosis and treatment may be contributing to poorer outcomes for younger adults, but there are no studies in Australia examining intervals for people with eoCRC.

One method to investigate diagnostic intervals is the use of primary care data. Unlike patient self-report or hospital/health administrative data, primary care data can provide a detailed understanding of eoCRC management in the pre-diagnosis phase. This study will use linked primary care, cancer registry and health administrative data to compare diagnostic pathways for younger and older adults with colorectal cancer.

Patron ID: PAT1032_10

Project Lead: Dr Rebecca Bergin