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The journey towards a cancer diagnosis: the experiences of people with cancer, their family and carers

The journey towards a cancer diagnosis: the experiences of people with cancer, their family and... This small‐scale study aimed to provide an insight into the time between first noticing a symptom, attending a healthcare provider and obtaining a cancer diagnosis. Previous research showed that the pre‐diagnostic moments on the illness trajectory were important to people with cancer and could influence levels of satisfaction with subsequent care. This article provides an overview of the qualitative component (phase 2) of a three‐pronged study that involved a workshop, a literature review and focus groups and interviews with people affected by cancer. Results highlighted some of the difficulties encountered during the complex journey towards a diagnosis of cancer. These included fear of what might be found, communication of symptoms to healthcare practitioners, the influence of family on decisions to attend a primary care practitioner and the importance of a person's gender on perceptions of health‐seeking behaviour. Results presented warrant further investigation and suggest the importance of viewing the ‘cancer journey’ as including the journey leading up to a diagnosis of cancer. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png European Journal of Cancer Care Wiley

The journey towards a cancer diagnosis: the experiences of people with cancer, their family and carers

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References (30)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0961-5423
eISSN
1365-2354
DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2354.2003.00418.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This small‐scale study aimed to provide an insight into the time between first noticing a symptom, attending a healthcare provider and obtaining a cancer diagnosis. Previous research showed that the pre‐diagnostic moments on the illness trajectory were important to people with cancer and could influence levels of satisfaction with subsequent care. This article provides an overview of the qualitative component (phase 2) of a three‐pronged study that involved a workshop, a literature review and focus groups and interviews with people affected by cancer. Results highlighted some of the difficulties encountered during the complex journey towards a diagnosis of cancer. These included fear of what might be found, communication of symptoms to healthcare practitioners, the influence of family on decisions to attend a primary care practitioner and the importance of a person's gender on perceptions of health‐seeking behaviour. Results presented warrant further investigation and suggest the importance of viewing the ‘cancer journey’ as including the journey leading up to a diagnosis of cancer.

Journal

European Journal of Cancer CareWiley

Published: Dec 1, 2003

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