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Q In patients with dyspepsia, what is the accuracy of alarm features (eg, dysphagia, weight loss, or anaemia) for detecting upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer?
Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care ★★★★★☆☆ IM/Ambulatory care ★★★★★★☆ Gastroenterology ★★★★★★☆
METHODS
Data sources:
Medline (1966–2003), CINAHL (1982 to Jan 2005), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1988 to Jan 2005), and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Jan 2005).
Study selection and assessment:
prospective studies that evaluated dyspepsia and alarm symptoms in unselected adults (>16 y of age), included >100 patients, compared symptoms with endoscopic diagnosis, and diagnosed >1 upper GI cancer. Studies were pooled using a random effects model. Study quality was assessed. 18 studies met the selection criteria.
Outcomes:
sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios.
MAIN RESULTS
Pooled estimates showed that clinical …
Footnotes
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For correspondence: Dr N Vakil, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Milwaukee, WI, USA. nvakil{at}wisc.edu
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Source of funding: not stated.
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