Partners of cancer patients consult their GPs significantly more often with both somatic and psychosocial problems

Figures & data

Table I. Baseline characteristics of index patients and partners.

		Breast (n = 1288)	Prostate (n = 705)	Colorectal (n = 649)	Lung (n = 429)
Index patients	Age	56.1 (11.6)	71.0 (8.7)	65.7 (11.4)	65.3 (10.8)
	Sex (male (%))	0 (0%)	705 (100%)	394 (61%)	308 (72%)
Partners	Age	57.8 (12.0)	67.7 (8.9)	64.3 (11.7)	63.5 (10.9)
	Sex (male (%))	1269 (99%)	3 (0%)	255 (39%)	123 (29%)
	GP contacts per year^1	2.5 (3.6)	4.5 (5.4)	4.0 (5.1)	3.9 (4.9)
	Acute symptoms	0.7 (1.4)	1.1 (1.9)	1.1 (1.9)	1.0 (1.5)
	Infections	0.3 (0.8)	0.4 (1.1)	0.4 (1.2)	0.4 (1.2)
	Chronic disease	0.5 (1.6)	1.0 (2.0)	0.9 (2.0)	0.9 (2.1)
	Psychosocial	0.1 (0.5)	0.2 (1.0)	0.2 (0.9)	0.1 (0.6)

Notes: Numbers are mean (standard deviation) or absolute number (percentage). ¹In the period between 18 and six months before diagnosis.

Figure 1. Relative number of GP contacts in cancer patients’ partners from six months before to 24 months after diagnosis by cancer type compared with baseline (18 to six months before diagnosis – set at 1.0).

Figure 2. Types of diagnoses (ICPC codes) during GP contacts in cancer patients’ partners six months before to 24 months after diagnosis compared with baseline (18 to six months before diagnosis – set at 1.0).

Table IIa. Frequency of specific diagnoses (ICPC codes) that were more prevalent in partners 0–6 months after diagnosis in index patients.

	ICPC		No. of patients	No. of contacts per 1000 patient years	IRR (95% CI)
Breast cancer	K86	Hypertension uncomplicated	82	290.1	1.6 (1.4–1.9)
	T90	Diabetes	47	173.7	1.3 (1.1–1.6)
	H81	Excessive ear wax	25	52.4	1.5 (1.1–2.2)
Prostate cancer	L03	Low back pain	19	68.2	1.9 (1.0–3.8)
	Z14	Problem with illness of partner	12	53.5	19.2 (5.2–160.4)
Colorectal cancer	Z14	Problem with illness of partner	22	117.7	5.4 (2.5–13.6)
	Z06	Sleep problem	18	68.7	2.5 (1.2–6.1)
Lung cancer	Z14	Problem with illness of partner	21	142.4	24.3 (4.3–966.8)

Note: ¹ICPC codes with significantly more contacts compared with baseline and a minimum of 10 patients, ordered by number of contacts per 1000 patient years.

Table IIb. Frequency of specific diagnoses (ICPC codes) that were more prevalent in partners 6–24 months after diagnosis in index patients.

	ICPC		No. of patients	No. of contacts per 1000 patient years	IRR (95% CI)
Breast cancer	K86	Hypertension uncomplicated	127	308.6	1.9 (1.7–2.3)
	H81	Excessive ear wax	78	74.3	1.6 (1.2–2.3)
	T90	Diabetes	66	211.6	1.7 (1.4–2.0)
Prostate cancer	R74	Upper respiratory infection acute	39	68.5	2.6 (1.3–5.8)
	D06	Localized abdominal pain	37	90.1	2.4 (1.2–5.3)
	L03	Low back pain	30	60.9	1.9 (1.1–3.7)
Colorectal cancer	T90	Diabetes	43	354.1	1.3 (1.1–1.6)
	R78	Acute bronchitis	32	79.0	1.9 (1.2–3.4)
	P06	Sleep problem	21	53.3	2.1 (1.0–4.9)
Lung cancer	L99	Other musculoskeletal disease	20	88.4	2.5 (1.1–6.8)
	Z14	Problem with illness of partner	12	40.6	9.3 (1.6–368.8)

Note: ¹ICPC codes with significantly more contacts compared with baseline and a minimum of 10 patients, ordered by number of contacts per 1000 patient years.