Department of Otolaryngology, Crosshouse University Hospital, Kilmarnock, UK.
Department of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Jun;277(6):1801-1806. doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05897-w. Epub 2020 Mar 13.
Reasons for delayed presentation in cancer are reported as patient or professional delays. Studies have examined patient demographic factors associated with presentation delay, but it is currently unknown why patients feel they delayed presenting.
Questionnaire study of consecutive patients attending an urgent suspicion of cancer clinic at a tertiary referral centre in Glasgow over a 3-month period.
395 patients were included. 53 (13%) patients waited 0-7 days, 164 (41%) patients 1-4 weeks, 139 (35%) 1-12 months and 31 (8%) waited longer than 12 months, before presenting. 8 (3%) did not state length of time before presentation. 123 (31%) patients were not worried about their symptoms. 5 of the 13(38%) patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer, waited up to 12 months. 5 (38%) cancer patients delayed presentation because they were not worried about symptoms.
Patients with head and neck cancer are not worried about their symptoms and delay their presentation, possibly contributing towards later stage diagnosis.
癌症患者就诊延迟的原因可分为患者自身原因和医疗专业人员原因。已有研究对与就诊延迟相关的患者人口统计学因素进行了调查，但目前尚不清楚患者为何会觉得自己延迟了就诊。
对在格拉斯哥的一家三级转诊中心的紧急疑似癌症诊所就诊的连续患者进行了为期 3 个月的问卷调查研究。
共纳入 395 例患者。53 例（13%）患者在出现症状后 0-7 天就诊，164 例（41%）患者在出现症状后 1-4 周就诊，139 例（35%）患者在出现症状后 1-12 个月就诊，31 例（8%）患者在出现症状后超过 12 个月就诊。8 例（3%）患者未说明就诊前的时间长度。123 例（31%）患者对其症状不担忧。5 例（38%）头颈部癌症患者的就诊时间延迟至 12 个月。5 例（38%）癌症患者因不担心症状而延迟就诊。
头颈部癌症患者对其症状不担忧，导致就诊延迟，可能使癌症进展至晚期才被诊断。
