ArticlePloS one2020
From symptom to cancer diagnosis: Perspectives of patients and family members in Alberta, Canada.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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
8 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Operationalising Patient Engagement Through the Alberta Cancer Diagnosis Initiative: Recruitment Strategies for Diverse Populations in Health System Improvement.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Challenges in Metabolite Biomarkers as Avenues of Diagnosis and Prognosis of Cancer.Journal of cancer prevention · 2024Article
- Improving Cancer Diagnosis in Alberta, Canada: A Qualitative Study of Emergency Department Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on Diagnosing Cancer in the Emergency Setting.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2024Article
- Improving colorectal cancer in Alberta, Canada: a qualitative study of patients and close contacts' perceptions on diagnosis following an emergency department presentation.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Experiences of Indonesian women with breast cancer underwent treatment decision-making: A qualitative study.Belitung nursing journal · 2024Article
- The Functioning of Hospice in the Perception of Family Members of Cancer Surgery and Hospice Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Sensations, symptoms, and then what? Early bodily experiences prior to diagnosis of lung cancer.PloS one · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSignificant intervals from the identification of suspicious symptoms to a definitive diagnosis of cancer are common. Streamlining pathways to diagnosis may increase survival, quality of life post-treatment, and patient experience. Discussions of pathways to diagnosis from the perspective of patients and family members are crucial to advancing cancer diagnosis.
aimTo examine the perspectives of a group of patients with cancer and family members in Alberta, Canada, on factors associated with timelines to diagnosis and overall experience.
methodsA qualitative approach was used. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with patients with cancer (n = 18) and patient relatives (n = 5) were conducted and subjected to a thematic analysis.
findingsParticipants struggled emotionally in the diagnostic period. Relevant to their experience were: potentially avoidable delays, concerns about health status, and misunderstood investigation process. Participants emphasized the importance of their active involvement in the care process, and had unmet supportive care needs.
conclusionPsychosocial supports available to potential cancer patients and their families are minimal, and may be important for improved experiences before diagnosis. Access to other patients' lived experiences with the diagnostic process and with cancer, and an enhanced supportive role of family doctors might help improve experiences for patients and families in the interval before receiving a diagnosis of cancer, which may have a significant impact on wellbeing.
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.