Thread by @Telegraph

🔴GPs miss more than half of 'red flag' cancer symptoms, a major study has found.

Doctors have told of 'pressure not to refer', amid warnings that almost 12,000 women in Britain could be living with undiagnosed breast cancer.

Thread ⬇️

telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/0…

The research involving almost 50,000 patients who consulted their doctor with a symptom that could be a sign of cancer pre-pandemic found six in 10 were not given an urgent referral

🔴Of those, almost 4 per cent went on to develop cancer within 12 months

Pressure on GPs not to over-refer people for tests and a lack of awareness of cancer among younger patients were cited as possible reasons for the low referral rate

Red flag symptoms include, but are not limited to:

❌Blood in urine
❌A breast lump
❌Problems swallowing

The findings, published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, show family doctors could be missing opportunities to diagnose cancer early

It came as a separate report found almost 12,000 women could be living with undiagnosed breast cancer after missing out on NHS screening due to the pandemic

'GPs feel under pressure to not refer'

Dr Bianca Wiering, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Exeter, who led the BMJ study, said missed referrals could be improved by "stricter adherence to the guidelines"

Asked why the guidelines were not being followed strictly, Dr Wiering said GPs faced "pressure" from the NHS over their use of resources.

Read the full report here ⬇️

telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/0…