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Table 2 Risk factors for first diagnosis of cancer, crude and adjusted results from Poisson regression using the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method

From: Cancer diagnosed by emergency admission in England: an observational study using the general practice research database

Characteristic

All routes (n)

Emergency admission (n)

(%)

Crude

Adjusted

RR (95% CI)

P-value

RR (95% CI)

P-value

Age group at diagnosis (years)

    

<.0001

 

<.0001

0–14

439

8

(0.98)

0.04 (0.02–0.08)

<.0001

0.11 (0.06–0.21)

<.0001

15–44

2347

61

(7.47)

0.06 (0.04–0.08)

<.0001

0.13 (0.10–0.17)

<.0001

45–64

1680

259

(31.7)

0.34 (0.27–0.42)

<.0001

0.52 (0.44–0.63)

<.0001

65–84

1197

394

(48.2)

0.72 (0.57–0.90)

0.004

0.73 (0.60–0.87)

0.001

≥85

207

95

(11.6)

1

 

1

 

Sex

    

<.0001

 

-

Male

2418

400

(49.0)

1

   

Female

3452

417

(51.0)

0.73 (0.64–0.84)

<.0001

  

Ethnicity

    

<.0001

 

<.0001

Asian

29

6

(0.73)

4.48 (1.98–10.1)

<.0001

3.02 (1.67–5.48)

<.0001

Black

30

8

(0.98)

5.77 (2.84–11.7)

<.0001

2.09 (1.53–2.87)

<.0001

White

1924

617

(75.5)

6.94 (5.87–8.20)

<.0001

3.14 (2.48–3.98)

<.0001

Other

36

8

(0.98)

4.81 (2.37–9.76)

<.0001

3.06 (2.10–4.47)

<.0001

Unknown

3851

178

(21.8)

1

 

1

 

Deprivation

    

<.0001

 

<.0001

Least deprived

716

132

(16.2)

2.95 (2.36–3.68)

<.0001

1.60 (1.27–2.02)

<.0001

Quintiles 2,3,4

1738

382

(46.8)

3.51 (2.95–4.19)

<.0001

1.81 (1.47–2.23)

<.0001

Most deprived

426

116

(14.2)

4.35 (3.45–5.49)

<.0001

1.93 (1.51–2.47)

<.0001

Unknown

2990

187

(22.9)

1

 

1

 

Charlson Index score

    

<.0001

 

0.019

0

5785

745

(91.2)

1

 

1

 

1

43

39

(4.77)

7.04 (5.10–9.72)

<.0001

1.34 (1.06–1.69)

0.014

≥2

42

33

(4.04)

6.10 (4.31–8.65)

<.0001

0.87 (0.70–1.07)

0.180

Practice region

    

<.0001

 

-

East Midlands

122

5

(0.61)

0.32 (0.13–0.79)

0.013

  

East of England

835

140

(17.1)

1.31 (1.01–1.70)

0.041

  

London

345

51

(6.24)

1.16 (0.82–1.63)

0.400

  

North East

252

38

(4.65)

1.18 (0.81–1.72)

0.388

  

North West

615

105

(12.9)

1.34 (1.01–1.77)

0.041

  

South Central

763

92

(11.3)

0.94 (0.71–1.26)

0.695

  

South East Coast

622

118

(14.4)

1.49 (1.13–1.95)

0.004

  

South West

834

84

(10.3)

0.79 (0.59–1.06)

0.114

  

West Midlands

746

90

(11.0)

0.95 (0.71–1.26)

0.699

  

Yorkshire & The Humber

736

94

(11.5)

1

   

Time at practice (years)

    

<.0001

 

-

Low

1957

176

(21.5)

1

   

Moderate

1957

279

(34.2)

1.59 (1.31–1.91)

<.0001

  

High

1956

362

(44.3)

2.06 (1.72–2.46)

<.0001

  

Follow-up time (years)

    

<.0001

 

-

<1

988

82

(10.0)

0.45 (0.35–0.57)

<.0001

  

1–3

2032

271

(33.2)

0.72 (0.60–0.85)

<.0001

  

4–6

1571

226

(27.7)

0.77 (0.64–0.93)

0.006

  

7–10

1279

238

(29.1)

1

   

Continuity of care

    

<.0001

 

<.0001

Low

164

134

(16.4)

1

 

1

 

Moderate

162

131

(16.0)

0.99 (0.78–1.26)

0.933

1.04 (0.90–1.20)

0.625

High

166

143

(17.5)

1.05 (0.83–1.33)

0.660

1.00 (0.87–1.15)

0.976

Not valid*

5378

409

(50.1)

0.09 (0.08–0.11)

<.0001

0.28 (0.24–0.33)

<.0001

Consultation ≤30 day before diagnosis†

    

<.0001

 

-

0

5734

704

(86.2)

1

   

1

136

113

(13.3)

6.77 (5.55–8.25)

<.0001

  

Referral ≤30 days before diagnosis‡

    

0.022

 

-

Admission before diagnosis, mean (SD)

0.04 (0.20)

0.12 (0.33)

 

0.30 (0.21–0.43)

<.0001

0.31 (0.20–0.46)

<.0001

  1. *Patient had fewer than 2 consultations with a GP or nurse at the practice or by telephone during the study period.
  2. †At practice, by telephone, or home visit, with a GP or nurse.
  3. ‡Results for dichotomous “referral ≤30 days before diagnosis” variable omitted due to small numbers.
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