Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Objectives To determine levels of awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms and to identify barriers to help-seeking and predictors of a longer time to help-seeking in a UK female population-based sample.
Methods A UK population-based sample of women [n=1000, including a subsample of women at higher risk due to their age (≥45 years, n=510)] completed the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Measure by telephone interview. Questions measured symptom awareness (using recall and recognition), barriers to medical help-seeking and anticipated time to help-seeking. Regression analyses identified predictors of a higher score on a scale of anticipated time to help-seeking.
Results Most women (58% overall sample; 54% subgroup) were unable to recall any symptoms but 99% recognised at least one. Recognition was lowest for difficulty eating and persistently feeling full. In the sample overall, higher socio-economic status and higher endorsement of practical and service barriers independently predicted a longer anticipated time to help-seeking for more symptoms. White ethnicity was an additional predictor in the older subgroup.
Conclusions This study suggests awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms is low in the UK, and varies widely between symptoms. It identifies variables that may be involved in a longer time to help-seeking for possible ovarian cancer symptoms and highlights the need for more in-depth research into the factors related to time to help-seeking in real-world situations.
Introduction
Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynaecological cancer in the UK, responsible for more deaths than all the other gynaecological malignancies combined. The 1-year survival rate for ovarian cancer in the UK is just 36%, which is lower than survival rates observed in comparable countries. This suggests that ovarian cancer is diagnosed later in the UK than elsewhere. In fact, 60% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at the latest stages (Stages III/IV, with associated 5-year survival rates of just 6–22%). Increasing earlier stage diagnoses may therefore improve survival rates so that they are in line with or even better than those observed in other countries.
In the absence of an effective ovarian cancer screening strategy (feasibility trials are currently being undertaken, with conclusions expected in 2015), early-stage diagnosis is reliant upon timely patient help-seeking and appropriate action by health care professionals at patient presentation (i.e. appropriate investigations and/or referral to secondary care). However, women do not always seek help in a timely manner nor do they always receive a timely diagnosis. This paper focuses on the former issue.
Non-recognition of symptom seriousness (which may be the result of low symptom awareness) appears to be the most important patient-mediated factor leading to a longer time to help-seeking for ovarian cancer symptoms. The non-specific nature of ovarian cancer symptoms (such as bloating or lower back pain) may make it difficult to discern when a bodily change is serious, potentially contributing to non-recognition of symptom seriousness or symptom misattribution. Fear of cancer has also been found to increase time to help-seeking, while there is inconclusive evidence for the effects of age. Factors that may encourage prompt help-seeking include fewer perceived barriers to help-seeking and a personal experience of cancer.
Much of the literature on time to help-seeking uses an arbitrary time-point cut-off to define 'delay' (such as 3 months or more). However, this can be problematic as a single cut-off point cannot be appropriately applied across all symptoms and cancers.
Research to date has not specifically explored variables that might predict a longer time to help-seeking for symptoms that may indicate ovarian cancer. Doing so is key to identifying modifiable factors that could be targeted by interventions aimed at reducing time to help-seeking. To address this gap, we tested the hypotheses that lower symptom awareness, personal experience of cancer, more perceived emotional barriers (including 'fear') and/or more perceived practical barriers to help-seeking would be associated with a longer anticipated time to help-seeking for symptoms of ovarian cancer.
We were unsure of the direction of the relationship between age and help-seeking due to inconsistent or inconclusive previous findings. Consequently we made no specific hypotheses with regard to this variable. As the incidence of ovarian cancer begins to rise at around age 45 years, we tested the above hypotheses both in a population-based sample of women aged 16 years and over, and in a subgroup of women aged ≥45 years.