ArticleBritish journal of cancer2016
What prompts help-seeking for cancer 'alarm' symptoms? A primary care based survey.
Article in British journal of cancer, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Targeted encouragement of GP consultations for possible cancer symptoms: a randomised controlled trial.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2021Trial
- The level of medical students' knowledge regarding the prevention of cervical cancer.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2024Article
- Survival of cervical cancer patients at Moi teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret in western Kenya.BMC cancer · 2023Article
- Women's experiences along the ovarian cancer diagnostic pathway in Catalonia: A qualitative study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2023Article
- Consultations for clinical features of possible cancer and associated urgent referrals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational cohort study from English primary care.British journal of cancer · 2022Observational
- Is concern for gynaecological alarm symptoms associated with healthcare-seeking? A Danish population-based cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors among Palestinian women: a national cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2021Article
- Knowledge of Palestinian women about cervical cancer warning signs: a national cross- sectional study.BMC public health · 2021Article
- Cancer symptom experience and help-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a cross-sectional population survey.BMJ open · 2021Article
- Women's barriers for contacting general practice when experiencing gynecological cancer symptoms: a population-based study.BMC family practice · 2021Article
- Are socio-economic inequalities in breast cancer survival explained by peri-diagnostic factors?BMC cancer · 2021Article
- Knowledge, attitude and practice towards early screening of colorectal cancer in Riyadh.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2020Article
- Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study.The Lancet. Oncology · 2020Article
- Article
- What triggers healthcare-seeking behaviour when experiencing a symptom? Results from a population-based survey.BJGP open · 2017Article
- The impact of body vigilance on help-seeking for cancer 'alarm' symptoms: a community-based survey.BMC public health · 2016Article
- Worrying about wasting GP time as a barrier to help-seeking: a community-based, qualitative study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEncouraging prompt help-seeking for cancer symptoms can help shorten the patient interval and improve timely diagnosis. We explored factors associated with help-seeking in a primary care sample reporting 'alarm' symptoms.
methodsA questionnaire was mailed to 9771 adults (⩾ 50 years of age and no cancer diagnosis) and 3766 (39%) returned it. Our sample included 1732 adults reporting at least one cancer 'alarm' symptom; with a total of 2726 symptoms. Respondents completed questions relating to help-seeking, demographic and symptom characteristics (e.g., type, knowledge, concern, interference and attribution).
resultsOver a third of people who reported a cancer 'alarm' symptom in the past 3 months had not sought help from a doctor. An unexplained lump (odds ratio (OR) 2.46, 1.42-4.26) and persistent unexplained pain (OR 1.79, 1.19-2.69) were associated with increased likelihood of help-seeking. Symptom concern (OR 3.10, 2.19-4.39) and interference (OR 3.06, 2.15-4.36) were associated with an increased likelihood of seeking help independently of symptom type. People who were not working (OR 1.41, 1.09-1.83), were married/cohabiting rather than single (OR 1.38, 1.10-1.74) and were older (60-69 years) rather than younger (50-59 years; OR 1.33, 1.02-1.75) were more likely to have sought help.
conclusionsOur findings highlighted symptom type and symptom characteristics as key drivers of help-seeking. We also found that there may be specific demographic groups where encouraging help-seeking might be warranted.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.