Role of the 2-week urgent referral pathway in childhood cancer.

Abstract

To evaluate the role of the urgent 2-week referral pathway in facilitating the early diagnosis of childhood cancer. Retrospective case notes review of all children referred via the pathway and all children diagnosed as having cancer via other means over a period of 3½ years (January 2007-July 2010). District general hospital with a shared care oncology service. 82 children aged 0-15 years. Outcomes for children referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway, including diagnosis, need for further investigations and need for further specialist input. 35 children were referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway with suspected cancer. Only one of these children had a malignancy. 49% of children required no further investigations and 43% were discharged after the first appointment with no follow-up thought necessary. Over the same time period, 47 children were diagnosed as having cancer via other means. The pickup rate of cancer among children referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway is extremely low and the vast majority of cancer is diagnosed via different routes.