GPs are less likely to recognize and refer older women who present with symptoms of ovarian cancer, according to a study by British researchers warned the results could be extended to other cancers.
A study of patient records held in the General Practice Research Database found that of the 1107 cases of ovarian cancer registered in the GPRD, 73% were coded as having at least one relevant investigation or referral to a gynecologist in the year before diagnosis.
But this proportion decreased with age. 82% of women aged under 55 years, had at least one study, compared with 75% of women aged between 55 and 69 years and 66% of those aged over 70th
The median delay before a practitioner requested an investigation had a U-shaped distribution, scientists said, with younger and older patients with longer delays than the middle-aged women.
Principal researcher Dr Rosemary Tate, senior scientist at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, concluded: "This study not only shows that age has a major impact on how physicians manage women with ovarian cancer, but also shows that they are less likely to code a diagnosis and refer patients to the gynecological examination when they get older. "
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