The Aarhus Statement: Improving design and reporting of studies on early cancer diagnosis

Weller, D; Vedsted, P; Rubin, G; Walter, FM; Emery, J; Scott, S; Campbell, C; Andersen, RS; Hamilton, W; Oleson, F; Rose, P; Nafees, S; van Rijswijk, E; Hiom, S; Muth, C; Beyer, M; Neal, RD

doi:10.1038/bjc.2012.68

The Aarhus Statement: Improving design and reporting of studies on early cancer diagnosis

Weller, D; Vedsted, P; Rubin, G; Walter, FM; Emery, J; Scott, S; Campbell, C; Andersen, RS; Hamilton, W; Oleson, F; Rose, P; Nafees, S; van Rijswijk, E; Hiom, S; Muth, C; Beyer, M; Neal, RD

Authors

D Weller

P Vedsted

G Rubin

FM Walter

J Emery

S Scott

C Campbell

RS Andersen

W Hamilton

F Oleson

P Rose

S Nafees

E van Rijswijk

S Hiom

C Muth

M Beyer

RD Neal

Abstract

Early diagnosis is a key factor in improving the outcomes of cancer patients. A greater understanding of the pre-diagnostic patient pathways is vital yet, at present, research in this field lacks consistent definitions and methods. As a consequence much early diagnosis research is difficult to interpret. A consensus group was formed with the aim of producing guidance and a checklist for early cancer-diagnosis researchers. A consensus conference approach combined with nominal group techniques was used. The work was supported by a systematic review of early diagnosis literature, focussing on existing instruments used to measure time points and intervals in early cancer-diagnosis research. A series of recommendations for definitions and methodological approaches is presented. This is complemented by a checklist that early diagnosis researchers can use when designing and conducting studies in this field. The Aarhus checklist is a resource for early cancer-diagnosis research that should promote greater precision and transparency in both definitions and methods. Further work will examine whether the checklist can be readily adopted by researchers, and feedback on the guidance will be used in future updates.

Citation

Weller, D., Vedsted, P., Rubin, G., Walter, F., Emery, J., Scott, S., …Neal, R. (2012). The Aarhus Statement: Improving design and reporting of studies on early cancer diagnosis. British Journal of Cancer, 106(7), 1262-1267. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2012.68

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Mar 27, 2012
Deposit Date	Apr 17, 2012
Publicly Available Date	Jul 3, 2012
Journal	British Journal of Cancer
Print ISSN	0007-0920
Electronic ISSN	1532-1827
Publisher	Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com]
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	106
Issue	7
Pages	1262-1267
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2012.68
Keywords	Early diagnosis, Methods, Definitions, Diagnostic intervals.