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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the individuals included in the derivation cohort

From: Development and external validation of a faecal immunochemical test-based prediction model for colorectal cancer detection in symptomatic patients

Characteristics

Overall (n = 1572)

CRC (n = 214)

No CRC (n = 1358)

Significance

Age (years)a

68 (20–96)

74 (39–92)

68 (20–96)

<0.001

Sex (male)

810 (51.5 %)

138 (64.5 %)

672 (49.5 %)

1.8 (1.3–2.5)

Primary healthcare referral (yes)

360 (22.9 %)

67 (31.3 %)

293 (21.6 %)

1.6 (1.2–2.3)

NICE referral criteria (yes)

821 (52.2 %)

146 (68.2 %)

675 (49.7 %)

2.2 (1.6–2.9)

Symptoms

 • Abdominal pain (yes)

688 (43.8 %)

75 (35.0 %)

613 (45.1 %)

0.7 (0.5–0.9)

 • Anal pain (yes)

360 (22.9 %)

39 (18.2 %)

321 (23.6 %)

0.7 (0.5–1)

 • Change in bowel habit (yes)

899 (57.2 %)

132 (61.7 %)

767 (56.5 %)

1.2 (0.9–1.7)

 • Rectal bleeding (yes)

942 (59.9 %)

141 (65.9 %)

801 (59.0 %)

1.3 (1–1.8)

 • Incomplete evacuation (yes)

510 (32.4 %)

69 (32.2 %)

441 (32.5 %)

1 (0.7–1.3)

 • Mucus on faeces (yes)

178 (11.3 %)

26 (12.1 %)

152 (11.2 %)

1.1 (0.7–1.7)

 • Asthenia (yes)

671 (42.7 %)

106 (49.5 %)

565 (41.6 %)

1.4 (1–1.8)

 • Weight loss (yes)

385 (24.5 %)

57 (26.6 %)

328 (24.2 %)

1.1 (0.8–1.6)

Duration of symptoms

 • <1 month

97 (5.5 %)

12 (5.6 %)

75 (5.5 %)

1.6 (0.8–3.1)

 • 1–12 months

803 (51.1 %)

140 (65.4 %)

663 (48.8 %)

2.1 (1.5–2.9)

 • >12 months

682 (43.4 %)

62 (29.0 %)

620 (45.7 %)

1

Previous colorectal diseases

 • Diverticulitis (yes)

64 (4.1 %)

6 (2.8 %)

58 (4.3 %)

0.6 (0.3–1.5)

 • Irritable bowel syndrome (yes)

32 (2.0 %)

1 (0.5 %)

31 (2.3 %)

0.2 (0.02–1.5)

 • Polyps (yes)

110 (7.0 %)

5 (2.3 %)

105 (7.7 %)

0.3 (0.1–0.7)

Colonoscopy in the last 10 years (yes)

314 (20.0 %)

10 (4.7 %)

304 (22.4 %)

0.2 (0.1–0.3)

FDRs with CRC (yes)

301 (19.1 %)

21 (9.8 %)

280 (20.6 %)

0.4 (0.3–0.7)

Treatment

 • Aspirin (more than one year)

224 (14.2 %)

25 (11.7 %)

199 (14.7 %)

0.7 (0.5–1.2)

 • NSAIDs (yes)

263 (16.7 %)

27 (12.6 %)

236 (17.4 %)

0.7 (0.4–1.1)

 • Laxative treatment (yes)

21 (1.3 %)

1 (0.5 %)

20 (1.5 %)

0.3 (0.1–2.3)

 • Acenocoumarol (yes)

124 (7.9 %)

17 (7.9 %)

107 (7.9 %)

1 (0.6–1.7)

 • Clopidogrel (yes)

60 (3.8 %)

10 (4.7 %)

50 (3.7 %)

1.3 (0.6–2.6)

Anorectal examination findings

 • Rectal mass (yes)

38 (2.4 %)

31 (14.5 %)

7 (0.5 %)

32.6 (14.2–75.3)

 • Benign anorectal lesion (yes)

646 (41.1 %)

32 (15.0 %)

614 (45.2 %)

0.2 (0.1–0.3)

Laboratory results

 • Faecal haemoglobin (μg/g)b

5.8 (0.0–5902)

270 (0.0–1974)

5.8 (0.0–5902)

<0.001

 • Faecal calprotectin (ng/mL)b

41.0 (0.0–5100)

120 (13.0–1072)

37.0 (0.0–5100)

<0.001

 • Blood haemoglobin (g/dL)b

13.5 (6.3–19.1)

12.9 (7.2–17.8)

13.6 (6.3–19.1)

<0.001

 • Mean corpuscular volume (fL)b

90.6 (56.7–118.7)

89.1 (62.7–110.5)

90.8 (56.7–118.7)

<0.001

 • Serum CEA (ng/mL)b

1.6 (0.0–3701)

3.2 (0.1–2684)

1.5 (0.0–3701)

<0.001

  1. Qualitative variables are expressed as absolute numbers and percentages. Quantitative variables are expressed as median and range
  2. Differences were analysed with the Chi-square and the Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel statistics and expressed as the odds ratio and its 95 % confidence interval in the qualitative variables; and the aStudent’s t and bMann–Whitney U test in quantitative variables. Differences with p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant
  3. CEA Carcinoembryonic antigen, CRC Colorectal cancer, FDR First-degree relative, NSAIDs Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs