title: Role of the 2-week urgent referral pathway in childhood cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of the urgent 2-week referral pathway in facilitating the early diagnosis of childhood cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case notes review of all children referred via the pathway and all children diagnosed as having cancer via other means over a period of 3½ years (January 2007-July 2010).
  
  
  METHODS
  District general hospital with a shared care oncology service.
  
  
  METHODS
  82 children aged 0-15 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcomes for children referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway, including diagnosis, need for further investigations and need for further specialist input.
  
  
  RESULTS
  35 children were referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway with suspected cancer. Only one of these children had a malignancy. 49% of children required no further investigations and 43% were discharged after the first appointment with no follow-up thought necessary. Over the same time period, 47 children were diagnosed as having cancer via other means.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pickup rate of cancer among children referred via the 2-week urgent referral pathway is extremely low and the vast majority of cancer is diagnosed via different routes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0HB, UK. jillmant@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mant
authors.forename: Vasanta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nanduri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004630:Emergencies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors