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08/22/26

"I never thought to bring them up to the doctor": examining symptom appraisal, help-seeking behaviors, and diagnostic delays among young adults with cancer.

Allard, Natasha C; Bouchard, Elizabeth G; Ford, Jennifer S; Feeley, Thomas Hugh; Rokitka, Denise; Orom, Heather. Cancer Causes Control.

Collection Topics
Big Three Conditions Cognition and Decision Making Communication Equity, Access, and Timeliness Patients and Families as Partners
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Summary

Diagnostic delays in young adults may begin before the healthcare encounter. This qualitative interview study of 30 young adults with cancer finds that symptoms were frequently attributed to stress, lifestyle, or minor problems, delaying help-seeking. Online information sometimes reinforced minimization, while some participants reported feeling dismissed by clinicians. The results identify patient communication, symptom awareness, online information quality, and clinician responsiveness as modifiable diagnostic-safety targets.
Read the paper
Allard NC, Bouchard EG, Ford JS, et al. “I never thought to bring them up to the doctor”: examining symptom appraisal, help-seeking behaviors, and diagnostic delays among young adults with cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 2026;37(9):149.