Qualitative studies of cancer patients provide some insight into why longer diagnostic intervals may occur due to delays in patient presentation [ 7, 8 ]. For example, patients may defer seeking care when they have intermittent symptoms or are unaware of the implications of specific symptoms [ 9, 10 ].
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What is a qualitative study?
Qualitative studies are carried out to explore the perceptions and sentiments of patients with breast cancer on chemotherapy, which allow researchers and healthcare providers to achieve a better understanding of patients’ feelings and unreported experiences.
Do Aboriginal Australians with cancer have a delayed diagnosis of cancer?
Aboriginal patients with cancer have higher rates of distant metastases at diagnosis compared with non-Aboriginal Australians. This paper examined factors contributing to delayed diagnosis of cancer among Aboriginal Australians from patient and service providers' perspectives.
What is the literature on help-seeking experiences in cancer?
Br J Cancer 1999;79:858–64. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6690137 . Patients’ help-seeking experiences and delay in cancer presentation: a qualitative synthesis. Lancet 2005;366:825–31. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736 (05)67030-4
What are the causes of delay in cancer diagnosis?
In terms of patient-related factors, delay in cancer diagnosis has been attributed to the delay in symptom appraisal and lack of understanding of cancer. Importantly, the non-specificity of mild signs and symptoms frequently gets dismissed in the early stage against the background of socioeconomic deprivation and competing needs and demands.
What are the current barriers to effective cancer care coordination A qualitative study?
Barriers to cancer care coordination related to six aspects of care namely, recognising health professional roles and responsibilities, implementing comprehensive multidisciplinary team meetings, transitioning of care: falling through the cracks, inadequate communication between specialist and primary care, inequitable ...
Why do cancer patients refuse treatment?
Important factors associated with refusal cancer treatment include gender, marital status, race, having government insurance, advanced cancer, poor performance status (cancer stage III or IV) and Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2. Thus, there are socio-demographic and clinical variables associated with treatment refusal.
What happens when cancer treatment is delayed?
People whose treatment for cancer is delayed by even one month have 6 to 13% higher risk of dying – a risk that keeps rising the longer their treatment does not begin – suggests research published in The BMJ.
Why would chemotherapy be delayed?
If you have a fever or are feeling sick, your chemotherapy may be delayed until you feel better. This is done for your safety, so you can recover from the infection. Toxicity. If your dose of chemotherapy causes side effects severe enough to delay treatment, your cancer doctor may lower your dose of chemotherapy.
Why is refusal of treatment an ethical dilemma?
In general, ethical tension exists when a physician's obligation to promote a patient's best interests competes with the physician's obligation to respect the patient's autonomy. “When you don't take your medication, you're more likely to get sick.”
When do doctors decide not to treat cancer?
If the cancer cannot be cured If a cure is not possible and treatment aims to control the cancer, it may be difficult to decide whether to go ahead. If the cancer is advanced and has spread to other parts of the body, treatment may be able to control it, improving symptoms and quality of life.
Why does the diagnosis seem to be so delayed in so many cases in cancer?
Considerable diagnostic delay might occur if several invasive procedures are needed to confirm the diagnosis and the suitability for surgical treatment. In summary, a delay in cancer diagnosis can occur at various levels. The patient may fail to recognise suspicious cancer symptoms or act on them.
Why are some cancers diagnosed late?
Patient delay can be a major factor behind late diagnosis; many patients are unaware of (or ignore) the symptoms of cancer; and health literacy, cultural attitudes towards seeking medical care, fear and embarrassment of a cancer diagnosis, and difficulties navigating the health-care system all play a part.
Why does cancer treatment take so long?
Some patients can wait a few weeks or a few months to start treatment because their type of cancer does not tend to grow as fast as others. When treatment doesn't need to start immediately, it might be delayed if: You are waiting to get lab results back that will help decide what treatment option is best.
When can you delay chemo?
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
Can you postpone a chemo treatment?
Answer: It may depend on where you are in your treatment journey. If you've started any type of treatment—radiation therapy, chemotherapy, etc. — those need to be continued. Other types of care, such as follow-up visits, consultations and some tests, you may be able to postpone.
Does delay in starting treatment affect the outcomes of radiotherapy a systematic review?
Conclusion: Delay in the initiation of RT is associated with an increase [corrected] in LRR in breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Delays in starting RT should be as short as reasonably achievable.
What did the participants realize after they got cancer?
The vast majority of participants reported that they realized how valuable their bodies and souls were after they got cancer, and that they had to enjoy life.
What did the patients in the study accept?
Nearly all of the patients participating in the study stated that they accepted what they lived through after being diagnosed with cancer.