Table 2 Symptom types reported by 1999 patients reporting at least one symptom, by diagnosis
From: Risk factors for delay in symptomatic presentation: a survey of cancer patients
Pain | Lump/swelling | Bleeding | Urinary difficulties | Systemic | Change of bowel habit | Skin | Chest symptoms | Eating-related | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Most common examples | n | Musculoskeletal Chest Abdominal | Lump in breast, neck, armpit, groin, abdomen | Rectal bleeding Haematuria Vaginal bleeding | Frequency Hesitancy Urgency Nocturia | Fatigue Weight loss Loss of appetite | Diarrhoea Constipation | Mole Itchiness Rash or red spots | Shortness of breath Cough | Nausea Vomiting Indigestion |
n | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
Haemato-oncological | ||||||||||
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia | 122 | 22 (18.0) | 56 (45.9) | 4 (3.3) | 2 (1.6) | 69 (56.6) | 2 (1.6) | 20 (16.4) | 46 (37.7) | 1 (0.8) |
Chronic myeloid leukaemia | 148 | 67 (45.3) | 9 (6.1) | 11 (7.4) | 1 (0.7) | 104 (70.3) | 4 (2.7) | 31 (20.9) | 50 (33.8) | 1 (0.7) |
Myeloma | 134 | 88 (65.7) | 4 (3.0) | 8 (6.0) | 1 (0.7) | 63 (47.0) | 2 (1.5) | 13 (9.7) | 27 (20.1) | 2 (1.5) |
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 157 | 46 (29.3) | 89 (56.7) | 2 (1.3) | 1 (0.6) | 63 (40.1) | 7 (4.5) | 14 (8.9) | 33 (21.0) | 2 (1.3) |
Gastrointestinal | ||||||||||
Colon | 116 | 49 (42.2) | 2 (1.7) | 35 (30.2) | 45 (38.8) | 49 (42.2) | 1 (0.9) | 17 (14.7) | 3 (2.6) | |
Rectum | 140 | 30 (21.4) | 1 (0.7) | 102 (72.9) | 29 (20.7) | 84 (60.0) | 1 (0.7) | 4 (2.9) | ||
Gynaecological | ||||||||||
Uterus | 149 | 31 (20.8) | 1 (0.7) | 115 (77.2) | 2 (1.3) | 31 (20.8) | 1 (0.7) | 1 (0.7) | ||
Cervix | 82 | 32 (39.0) | 1 (1.2) | 62 (75.6) | 1 (1.2) | 20 (24.4) | 2 (2.4) | |||
Urogenital | ||||||||||
Kidney and ureter | 133 | 54 (40.6) | 7 (5.3) | 62 (46.6) | 22 (16.5) | 36 (27.1) | 1 (0.8) | 19 (14.3) | ||
Bladder | 153 | 33 (21.6) | 2 (1.3) | 130 (85.0) | 48 (31.4) | 15 (9.8) | 3 (2.0) | |||
Prostate | 133 | 51 (38.3) | 13 (9.8) | 108 (81.2) | 16 (12.0) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (0.8) | |||
Other | ||||||||||
Breast | 88 | 18 (20.5) | 72 (81.8) | 3 (3.4) | 12 (13.6) | |||||
Malignant melanoma | 151 | 18 (11.9) | 1 (0.7) | 133 (88.1) | 2 (1.3) | 2 (1.3) | ||||
Bone or soft tissue sarcoma | 135 | 26 (19.3) | 106 (78.5) | 1 (0.7) | 4 (3.0) | 2 (1.5) | 2 (1.5) | 4 (3.0) | ||
Oral cavity | 158 | 41 (25.9) | 67 (42.4) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.3) | 17 (10.8) | ||||
All | 1999 | 588 (29.4) | 435 (21.8) | 547 (27.4) | 186 (9.3) | 500 (25.0) | 155 (7.8) | 227 (11.4) | 207 (10.4) | 29 (1.5) |
Weighted percentage a | 28.5 | 28.0 | 23.0 | 17.6 | 17.0 | 10.9 | 10.3 | 5.3 | 0.8 | |
