ReviewPrimary health care research & development2023
What causes delays in diagnosing blood cancers? A rapid review of the evidence.
Review in Primary health care research & development, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 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
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on delays and disruptions in cancer care services: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Emergency diagnosis of multiple myeloma: a SEER-Medicare study.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Implications of Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing in the Investigation of Cancer Symptoms: An Exploratory Retrospective Analysis of the SYMPLIFY Study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Article
- Late-stage leukemias in aging populations: a public health call for integrated and personalized care models.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Review
- Assessing the impact of timely diagnosis on psychological outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients: A scoping review.PloS one · 2026Article
- Article
- Knowledge user involvement is still uncommon in published rapid reviews-a meta-research cross-sectional study.Research synthesis methods · 2025Article
- Deciphering and targeting oncogenic pathways through integrated approaches and amino acid metabolism in hematologic malignancies.Discover oncology · 2025Review
- Article
- Machine Learning Model Predicts Abnormal Lymphocytosis Associated With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.JCO clinical cancer informatics · 2025Observational
- Pathways to myeloproliferative neoplasm presentation and time to diagnosis: results from a cross-sectional study.BJGP open · 2025Article
- Aggressive Sternum Extension in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Barriers to Timely Care in a Resource-Limited Setting.Case reports in hematology · 2025Article
- Health inequalities in cancer care: a literature review of pathways to diagnosis in the United Kingdom.EClinicalMedicine · 2024Review
- Article
- A Qualitative Study of the Initial Diagnosis and Treatment Experience of Black Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia.Palliative medicine reportsArticle
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
objectiveWe undertook a rapid review of literature relating to the diagnosis of blood cancers, to find out what factors contribute to delays in diagnosis, including symptom recognition, appraisal and help-seeking behaviours.
methodsWe used rapid review methodology following Tricco
resultsFifteen studies were included in the review, of which 10 were published in the United Kingdom. We found a number of factors associated with delays in blood cancer diagnosis. These included patient factors such as gender, age and ethnicity, as well as health system factors such as poor communication and seeing a locum clinician in primary care. A narrative synthesis of the evidence produced four types of symptom interpretation by patients: (1) symptoms compatible with normal state of health, (2) event-linked problems, (3) mild or chronic illness and (4) non-specific unwell state. These four interpretations were linked to different help-seeking behaviours. After seeking help, patients often experienced delays due to healthcare professionals' (HCPs') non-serious interpretation of symptoms, misleading blood tests, discontinuity of care and other barriers in the diagnostic pathway.
conclusionBlood cancers are difficult to diagnose due to non-specific heterogeneous symptoms, and this is reflected in how those symptoms are interpreted by patients and managed by HCPs. It is important to understand how different interpretations affect delays in help-seeking, and what HCPs can do to support timely follow-up for patients.
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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.