Furthermore, a small number of patients had a non-specified presentation to primary care with “suspected cancer” or abnormal chest X-ray codes, and these could not be classified further.
Changes in coding practices and in the profile of general practices contributing data to the CPRD over time could have altered the estimates of the prevalence of recorded symptoms.
Reassuringly, the proportion of patients with any recorded symptom was relatively constant over time, suggesting that any such changes were minor.
How to respond
The NHS says: “See a GP if you have any of the main symptoms of lung cancer or any of the less common symptoms.”