Predicting the Future by Studying the Past for Patients With Cancer Diagnosed in the Emergency Department.

Abstract

In the article that accompanies this editorial, Kapadia et al. developed a digital quality measure to identify emergency presentations of incident cancers, a measure they found to associated with both antecedent missed opportunities for diagnosis and subsequent 1-year all-cause mortality. Their work highlights the need for a cancer control continuum that includes, not only improved early detection, but also improved symptom recognition, expedited diagnostic work-up, and increased downstream support, including multilevel interventions focused on care continuity and symptom management for these patients with emergency presentations of cancer to improve cancer outcomes.