Characteristics of Patients Diagnosed With Cancer After Emergency Medical Center Transport in Japan

Although early cancer detection relies on routine primary care and screening, some patients first receive a cancer diagnosis after emergency transport. We described patients diagnosed with (or strongly suspected of having) cancer after emergency transport to a tertiary Emergency and Acute Medicine Center in Japan, focusing on access to primary care and family support.

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients transported between April 2007 and December 2023 who were diagnosed with or strongly suspected of cancer at the initial visit. We extracted age, sex, cancer site, presenting symptoms, presence of an established primary care medical institution, and cohabiting family members.

Among 76,989 patients who visited the Center during the study period, 202 (0.6%) were diagnosed with (or strongly suspected of having) cancer. Mean age was 73.1 years (range 22-101), and 141 (69.8%) were male. The most common cancer sites were colorectal/rectal (n = 49), gastric (n = 46), lung (n = 29), and liver (n = 21). Presentations commonly involved bleeding, pain, dyspnea, or general deterioration. Overall, 142 patients (70.3%) had an established primary care medical institution, and 152 (75.2%) lived with family members.

Many patients with emergency-based cancer diagnoses had documented access to primary care and cohabiting family members. These descriptive findings underscore the need for future comparative studies to clarify diagnostic pathways and factors associated with emergency-based cancer diagnosis.