Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35523160›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of cancer care2022

The SYMPTOM-upper gastrointestinal study: A mixed methods study exploring symptom appraisal and help-seeking in Australian upper gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Napin Karnchanachari, Shakira Milton, Tjuntu Muhlen-Schulte, Riati Scarborough, Jennifer F Holland, Fiona M Walter, John Zalcberg, Jon Emery

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of cancer care, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Patterns of diagnostic testing for oesophagogastric cancer-related symptoms in Australian primary care: a retrospective cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Napin KarnchanachariDepartment of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2816-8983
Shakira MiltonDepartment of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Tjuntu Muhlen-SchulteSchool of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Riati ScarboroughSchool of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7021-0893
Jennifer F HollandSchool of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Fiona M WalterDepartment of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
John ZalcbergSchool of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jon EmeryDepartment of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThere is limited evidence on the development of pancreatic and oesophagogastric cancer, how patients decide to seek help and the factors impacting help-seeking. Our study, the first in Australia, aimed to explore symptom appraisal and diagnostic pathways in these patients. A secondary aim was to examine the potential to recruit cancer patients through a cancer quality registry.

methodsPatients diagnosed with pancreatic or oesophagogastric cancer were recruited through Monash University's Upper-Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry. Data collected through general practitioners (GP) and patient questionnaires included symptoms and their onset, whereas patient interviews focused on the patient's decision-making in seeking help from healthcare pracitioners. Data collection and analysis was informed by the Aarhus statement. Coding was inductive, and themes were mapped onto the Model of Pathways to Treatment.

resultsBetween November 2018 and March 2020, 27 patient questionnaires and 13 phone interviews were completed. Prior to diagnosis, patients lacked awareness of pancreatic and oesophagogastric cancer symptoms, leading to the normalisation, dismissal and misattribution of the symptoms. Patients initially self-managed symptoms, but worsening of symptoms and jaundice triggered help-seeking. Competing priorities, beliefs about illnesses and difficulties accessing healthcare delayed help-seeking.

conclusionIncreased awareness of insidious pancreatic and oesophagogastric cancer symptoms in patients and general practitioners may prompt more urgent investigations and lead to earlier diagnosis.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal NeoplasmsHelp-Seeking BehaviorAustraliaHumansPatient Acceptance of Health CareSurveys and Questionnairescancer registryearly diagnosisgastric cancergeneral practiceoesophageal cancerpancreatic cancer

Identifiers

PMID35523160
PMCPMC9542126

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.