Grannell M S, Kelly S, Shannon S, Chong A L, Walsh T N
James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Ir J Med Sci. 2001 Oct-Dec;170(4):244-5. doi: 10.1007/BF03167788.
The majority of patients presenting with oesophageal cancer have symptoms for more than three months and advanced disease at presentation. Most appear unaware of the significance of dysphagia as a symptom. Cancer awareness programmes focus on symptoms such as lumps and bleeding.
To sample the level of public awareness of the potentially sinister significance of the symptom of dysphagia.
A community survey was conducted using a questionnaire to evaluate the subjects' impression of the significance of dysphagia, and compare it with their perception of the significance of breast lump. Patients were stratified to male and female, under and over 45 years.
There were 164 subjects interviewed. Seventy-five per cent stated that they would visit their doctor within one week of developing dysphagia compared with 87 per cent questioned about a breast lump (96 per cent females, 80 per cent males). Only 17 per cent felt that cancer was a probable explanation for dysphagia compared with 80 per cent who would consider cancer a likely cause of breast lump.
There is evident need of an awareness programme of the potential significance of dysphagia if prognosis for oesophageal cancer is to be improved.
大多数食管癌患者出现症状超过三个月，就诊时已处于疾病晚期。大多数人似乎未意识到吞咽困难作为一种症状的重要性。癌症 awareness 计划侧重于诸如肿块和出血等症状。
抽样调查公众对吞咽困难症状潜在严重意义的认知水平。
采用问卷调查进行社区调查，以评估受试者对吞咽困难重要性的印象，并将其与对乳腺肿块重要性的认知进行比较。患者按性别（男、女）以及年龄（45岁以下、45岁以上）进行分层。
共采访了164名受试者。75%的人表示在出现吞咽困难后一周内会去看医生，相比之下，在被问及乳腺肿块时，这一比例为87%（女性为96%，男性为80%）。只有17%的人认为癌症可能是吞咽困难的原因，而80%的人会认为癌症是乳腺肿块的可能病因。
如果要改善食管癌的预后，显然需要开展一项关于吞咽困难潜在重要性的 awareness 计划。
