Mozdiak, Ella, Tsertsvadze, Alexander, McFarlane, Michael J., Widlak, Monika, Tabuso, Maria, Dunlop, Amber and Arasaradnam, Ramesh P. (2016) The effect of the 2-week wait referral system on the detection of and mortality from colorectal cancer : protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews, 5 (1). 182. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0358-6

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Abstract

Background
Colorectal cancer represents the fourth most common cancer in England and Wales; survival is high for early stage disease but declines sharply with advanced stage. UK figures suggest that cancer survival rates are lower than those of other Western European countries. Current 5-year survival is around 50 %. A rapid access strategy was introduced through the Department of Health in 2000. This 2-week wait (TWW) referral pathway was devised to streamline referral for suspected cancer, allow diagnosis at an earlier stage, reduce cancer survival inequality and reduce cancer-related mortality. However, only around half of patients with colorectal cancer have symptoms that fit the TWW criteria plus there is a fourfold difference in referral rates across England and Wales.

High-quality evidence of TWW outcome measures for colorectal cancer is lacking. This systematic review will collate and evaluate the latest evidence on colorectal cancer detection rate, stage at diagnosis and mortality.

Methods
English-language publications from 2000 reporting outcomes on the TWW referral system for suspected colorectal cancer will be eligible for inclusion. Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed, NHS Evidence, Trip and the British Library Catalogue databases will be searched. Two paired reviewers will independently screen all titles/abstracts and full text for eligibility, then extract data and assess for bias using standardised formats. They will hand review reference lists of eligible articles. Disagreement will be resolved via third party adjudication. Summary effect measures for post-referral diagnosis and mortality rates will be calculated and expressed as relative risk, hazard rate ratio or risk difference with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals. Where possible summary effect measures will be pooled, heterogeneity and its extent for pooled estimates will be assessed via visual inspection of forest plots and explored via sub-group analysis.

Discussion
In this systematic review, we aim to summarise the relevant evidence on cancer detection rate, cancer stage at diagnosis and disease-related mortality rates for patients with suspected colorectal cancer investigated through the TWW referral system in England and Wales. We will highlight gaps in the evidence and provide a better understanding of whether it is meeting its desired effect.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Population, Evidence & Technologies (PET) Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Colon (Anatomy) -- Cancer -- Treatment -- Great Britain, Rectum -- Cancer -- Treatment -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title:	Systematic Reviews
Publisher:	BioMed Central Ltd.
ISSN:	2046-4053
Official Date:	26 October 2016
Dates:	Date Event 26 October 2016 Published 7 October 2016 Accepted 8 April 2016 Submitted
Date of first compliant deposit:	1 November 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access:	1 November 2016
Volume:	5
Number:	1
Article Number:	182
DOI:	10.1186/s13643-016-0358-6
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access

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