Emergency Department Use Prior to Cancer Diagnosis and Mortality

What is the risk of mortality among patients with and without emergency department (ED) use in the 90 days prior to cancer diagnosis?In this cohort study of 410 120 patients with a cancer diagnosis, patients with ED use prior to diagnosis had statistically significantly higher risk of mortality compared with matched patients without ED use, which decreased with time but persisted throughout follow-up.Findings of this study emphasize the need for established systems to ensure timely cancer workup for patients in the ED with suspected cancer and the need for health care system improvements to enhance early cancer detection and management.

Corresponding Author: Keerat Grewal, MD, MSc, Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute, Sinai Health, 2B 213-600 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 3L9, Canada (keerat.grewal@sinaihealth.ca).

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