ArticlePloS one2020
The route to diagnosis of sarcoma patients: Results from an interview study in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
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 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses 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
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Psychosocial Impact of Sarcoma: Challenges and Adaptation, a Meta-Synthesis.Psycho-oncology · 2026Pooled it
- Patients' experiences of the path to sarcoma diagnosis: a qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Patient and Tumor Factors Influencing Diagnostic Trajectories in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Patients and Their Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Dutch Multicenter Study.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Observational
- Observational
- Article
- Identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic microRNAs in sarcoma on TCGA dataset: bioinformatics and machine learning approach.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Observational
- Diagnostic trajectories of patients with rare cancer in the Netherlands: results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Article
- A taxonomy of early diagnosis research to guide study design and funding prioritisation.British journal of cancer · 2023Review
- Quality of care and quality of life as experienced by patients with advanced cancer of a rare tumour type: results of the multicentre observational eQuiPe study.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2023Observational
- Health-Related Quality of Life of Bone and Soft-Tissue Tumor Patients around the Time of Diagnosis.Cancers · 2023Article
- Article
- Article
- 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
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSarcomas are rare tumours. Early diagnosis is challenging, but important for local control and potentially survival and quality of life(QoL). We investigated (1)the route to diagnosis (RtD) experienced by sarcoma patients, including factors contributing to the length of the RtD from patients' perspective; (2)the impact of the RtD on QoL and care satisfaction; and (3)differences in aims 1-2 between English and Dutch patients.
methodsFifteen sarcoma patients from The Royal Marsden Hospital, United Kingdom, and Radboud University Medical Centre, The Netherlands, were interviewed, exploring RtD experiences. Interviews were analysed according to qualitative content analysis.
resultsThe main themes were: patient interval, diagnostic interval, reflection on the RtD and recommendations for improvement. Patient interval was long if symptoms were attributed as benign, did not interfere with daily life or were expected to cease. An incorrect working diagnosis, ineffective process of additional investigations, long referral times and lack of a lead clinician lengthened the diagnostic interval. Long waiting times, false reassurance and inadequate information provision led to dissatisfaction and a high emotional burden. Factors for improvement included increasing awareness of patients and healthcare providers, empowering patients, and having a lead clinician.
conclusionThe RtD of sarcoma patients is complex. Increasing awareness of patients and healthcare providers may contribute to shorten the RtD.
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.