Table 3. Univariate analysis of diagnoses referred from primary or secondary care to the first chest X-ray during 12 months before lung cancer diagnosisa
Primary care chest imaging referral (n = 151)Secondary care chest imaging referral (n = 190)
ICD-10 code
and diagnosis
Prevalence, % OR (95%CI)b ICD-10 code
and diagnosis
Prevalence, % OR (95%CI)b
J42 Chronic bronchitis5.314.9 (3.1 to 70.4)R01 Cardiac murmurs and other
cardiac sounds
1.612.0 (1.2 to 115.4)
R042 Haemoptysis3.310.0 (1.9 to 51.5)Z51 Encounter for other aftercare and
medical care
2.18.0 (1.5 to 43.7)
W19 Unspecified fall2.68.0 (1.5 to 43.7)I73 Other peripheral vascular diseases8.05.4 (2.5 to 11.8)
L20 Atopic dermatitis2.68.0 (1.5 to 43.7)N20 Calculus of kidney and ureter2.14.7 (1.0 to 21.4)
R05 Cough22.57.2 (4.0 to 13.0)M06 Rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified4.34.6 (1.7 to 12.6)
J18 Pneumonia15.95.4 (2.9 to 10.0)J44 COPD17.23.8
(2.2 to 6.3)
R700 Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate2.65.3 (1.2 to 23.8)F17 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco6.43.7
(1.7 to 8.3)
R49 Voice and resonance disorders3.34.8 (1.3 to 18.1)M05 Rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor3.23.4 (1.2 to 10.2)
Z72 Problems related to lifestyle4.64.6 (1.5 to 13.6)Z13 Special screening examination for other diseases3.73.7 (1.3 to 10.8)
R060 Dyspnoea7.33.8 (1.6 to 8.8)R060 Dyspnoea5.32.8
(1.2 to 6.4)
R52 Pain, unspecified14.63.6 (2.0 to 6.6)M54 Dorsalgia22.32.3
(1.5 to 3.5)
B34 Viral infection4.63.5 (1.3 to 9.6)J18 Pneumonia6.92.2
(1.1 to 4.5)
J44 COPD18.53.4 (2.0 to 5.7)I25 Chronic ischaemic heart disease14.91.6
(1.0 to 2.7)
J20 Acute bronchitis19.93.2 (1.9 to 5.4)


G47 Sleep disorders4.03.0 (1.0 to 8.6)
I80 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis4.62.8 (1.0 to 7.2)
M53 Dorsopathy5.32.6 (1.0 to 6.6)
  • aOdds ratio calculated between cases and controls. Diagnostic codes with OR <1.5 are omitted. bP<0.05. COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.