The value of warning signals of cancer in general practice.

Seven warning signals of cancer are poor diagnostic indicators of cancer, but for some patients awareness of warning signals may help reducing diagnostic delay. The usefulness of warning signals recorded by general practitioners at consultation is evaluated for a group of 80 patients who developed cancer 0-18 months after the consultation. Warning signals of cancer were recorded at the consultations in 20 cancer patients and in 13 matched control patients. For three cancer patients the warning signal was considered not related to the cancer. Recognition of warning signals related to the cancer disease was considered useful for nine out of 17 patients, somewhat useful for five and hardly useful at all for three patients.