What are the key red flag symptoms associated with dysphagia that warrant urgent referral?

Key red flag symptoms associated with dysphagia that warrant urgent referral include:

• Dysphagia itself is a red flag symptom for possible oesophageal or stomach cancer and requires referral using a suspected cancer pathway referral, which means the patient should be seen within 2 weeks.
• In people aged 55 years and over, dysphagia combined with weight loss and any of the following symptoms—upper abdominal pain, reflux, or dyspepsia—also warrants urgent referral for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
• Persistent unexplained hoarseness or an unexplained lump in the neck in people aged 45 years and over may indicate laryngeal cancer and require suspected cancer pathway referral.
• An unexplained lump in the neck or oral cavity ulceration lasting more than 3 weeks may indicate oral cancer and require urgent referral.
• Unexplained thyroid lumps should prompt suspected cancer pathway referral for thyroid cancer.

These symptoms indicate a high risk of malignancy or serious pathology and require urgent specialist assessment to exclude cancer or other serious conditions.

Summary: Dysphagia, especially when accompanied by weight loss, upper abdominal pain, reflux, or dyspepsia in older adults, or associated with neck lumps or persistent hoarseness, should prompt urgent referral via the suspected cancer pathway within 2 weeks.

NICE NG12,NICE CKS,NICE CKS