Harriet Quinn-Scoggins|Rebecca Cannings?John|Yvonne Moriarty|Victoria Whitelock|Katriina L. Whitaker|Detelina Grozeva|Jacqueline Hughes|Julia Townson|Kirstie Osborne|Mark Goddard|Grace McCutchan|Jo Waller|Michael Robling|Julie Hepburn|Graham Moore|Ardiana Gjini|Kate Brain
Cancer symptom experience and help-seeking behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a cross-sectional population survey
Cardiff University|Cardiff University|Cardiff University|Cancer Research UK|University of Surrey|Cardiff University|Cardiff University|Cardiff University|Cancer Research UK|Cardiff University|Cardiff University|King's College London|Cardiff University|Health and Care Research Wales|Cardiff University|Cardiff University|Public Health Wales|Cardiff University
understand selfreported potential cancer symptom helpseeking behaviours attitudes first 6 months marchaugust 2020 uk covid19 pandemicuk populationbased survey conducted august september 2020 correlates helpseeking behaviour modelled using logistic regression participants reporting potential cancer symptoms previous 6 months qualitative telephone interviews purposeful subsample participants analysed thematicallyonline uk wide survey7543 adults recruited via cancer research uk online panel provider dynata healthwise wales national register research ready participants supplemented social media facebook twitter recruitment 30 participants also interviewedsurvey measures included experiences 15 potential cancer symptoms helpseeking behaviour barriers prompts helpseekingof 3025 401 participants experienced potential cancer symptom 448 13553025 contacted general practitioner gp odds helpseeking higher among participants disability adjusted aor138 95 ci 111 171 experienced symptoms aor168 95 ci 156 182 lower among perceived covid19 cause symptoms aor036 95 ci 025 052 barriers included worries wasting doctors time 11587543 154 putting strain healthcare services 945 126 wanting make fuss 907 120 interviewees reported reluctance contact gp due concerns covid19 fear attending hospitals described putting health concerns holdmany people avoided healthcare services despite experiencing potential cancer symptoms covid19 pandemic alongside current helpseeking campaigns welltimed appropriate nationally coordinated campaigns signal services open safely unusual persistent symptomsisrctn17782018