title: Oral and pharyngeal cancer: analysis of patient delay at different tumor stages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to examine which factors are related to patient delay in a cohort of consecutive patients with pharyngeal cancer and oral cancer and to determine whether the different stages of patient delay (ie, appraisal, illness, behavioral, and scheduling) were related to different tumor stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before treatment, 55 patients with pharyngeal cancer and 134 patients with oral cancer were interviewed about their prediagnostic period. To verify the data, a questionnaire was sent to the general practitioner and/or dentist and a close relative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with a delay of more than 30 days were significantly more often diagnosed with late-stage (T3-T4) disease (pharynx, p = .01, odds ratio [OR] = 4.5; oral, p = .01, OR = 3.2). No sociodemographic characteristics were associated with patient delay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged patient delay was associated with late-stage disease for both patients with pharyngeal cancer and patients with oral cancer. Although for most patients the symptoms are vague or might look like a common cold or infection, the general public should be better informed about tumor symptoms. This may enhance earlier visits to a health care professional.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. X.D.R.Brouha@kmb.azu.nl
authors.forename: Xavier D R
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Brouha
authors.forename: Debbie M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Tromp
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hordijk
authors.forename: Jacques A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Winnubst
authors.forename: J Rob J
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: de Leeuw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors