Presenting symptom | All referrals (n = 383) | No CNS cancer (n = 371) | CNS cancer (n = 12) | p |
---|---|---|---|---|
Symptoms related to the CNS | 243 (63.4) | 233 (62.8) | 10 (83.3) | 0.224 |
Progressive neurological deficit | 30 (7.8) | 27 (7.3) | 3 (25.0) | |
New-onset seizures | 41 (10.7) | 39 (10.5) | 2 (16.7) | |
Headaches | 173 (45.2) | 168 (45.3) | 5 (41.7) | |
Mental changes | 21 (5.5) | 19 (5.1) | 2 (16.7) | |
Cranial nerve palsy | 19 (5.0) | 18 (4.9) | 1 (8.3) | |
Unilateral sensorineural deafness | 10 (2.6) | 10 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
Headaches of recent onset accompanied by features suggestive of raised intracranial pressure | 167 (43.6) | 165 (44.5) | 2 (16.7) | 0.075 |
Vomiting | 28 (7.3) | 28 (7.5) | 0 (0.0) | |
Drowsiness | 23 (6.0) | 23 (6.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
Posture-related headache | 68 (17.8) | 67 (18.1) | 1 (8.3) | |
Pulse-synchronous tinnitus | 3 (0.8) | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | |
Other focal/non-focal neurological problems | 71 (18.5) | 70 (18.9) | 1 (8.3) | |
New, qualitatively different, unexplained headache that becomes progressively severe | 43 (11.2) | 43 (11.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
Consider urgent referral - rapidly progressive subacute focal deficit/cognitive/behavioural or personality change | 27 (7.0) | 26 (7.0) | 1 (8.3) | 0.590 |
Subacute focal neurological deficit | 7 (1.8) | 6 (1.6) | 1 (8.3) | |
Unexplained cognitive impairment/behavioural disturbance or slowness, or a combination of these | 17 (4.4) | 17 (4.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
Personality changes | 9 (2.3) | 9 (2.4) | 0 (0.0) |