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Factors associated with late presentation of cancer: a limited literature review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2010

A. Almuammar ,
C. Dryden  and
J.A. Burr
A. Almuammar*
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
C. Dryden
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
J.A. Burr
Affiliation:
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
*
Correspondence to: A. Almuammar, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2006), cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Deaths from cancer are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 9 million people dying from cancer in 2015 and 11.4 million dying in 2030 (WHO 2006). Delayed presentation or late diagnosis of cancer is associated with low survival. The aim of this review is to identify factors associated with delayed presentation of cancer that were reported by previous studies. Published studies which identified the most common factors attributed to the late presentation of cancer were reviewed. Publications were identified using MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), the Cochrane Library, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database) databases. A Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. A total of 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. A data extraction sheet was used to systematically record relevant factors. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria which identified factors associated with patients’ delay including patients’ knowledge, stress and fear, and nature of the disease. Other factors were attributed to health providers such as general practitioner (GP) experience, referral delay, and a younger age group being considered as low risk, so symptoms were missed.

Keywords

Cancerdelaydiagnosislate presentationpatientstime factortreatment
Type
Literature Review
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 2010 , pp. 117 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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