Methods for analysing national routine electronic records for cancer patients in England

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Cancer causes almost 1 in 3 deaths in the U.K. High-quality care for cancer patients near the end of life should ensure that they live this important stage of life with dignity, without pain, and at home. However, most cancer patients require unplanned hospital care near the end of life. This can involve high-intensity treatment, with immediate negative effects on the quality of patients' and families' lives. Using colorectal cancer as an exemplar, this research study aims to improve our understanding of why some cancer patients require more unplanned hospital treatment near the end of life than other patients. The study will use data for all patients who have died from colorectal cancer in England in recent years. These data will include characteristics of patients (e.g. age), their cancer diagnosis (e.g. site of cancer), treatment (e.g. surgical operation), and healthcare context (e.g. main hospital). The relationship of each of these factors with visits to accident and emergency (A&E) departments, unplanned admissions to hospital, and emergency admissions to intensive care units will be determined.