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Smokers are less likely than non-smokers to seek help for a lung cancer 'alarm' symptom

Friedemann Smith, C; Whitaker, KL; Winstanley, K; Wardle, J; (2016) Smokers are less likely than non-smokers to seek help for a lung cancer 'alarm' symptom. Thorax , 71 (7) pp. 659-661. 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-208063. Green open access

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The majority (>85%) of lung cancer cases are linked with smoking, and prognosis is poor because it is often diagnosed at a late stage. One contributor to late-stage diagnosis could be patient delay in help-seeking. We investigated the help-seeking behaviour of smokers and non-smokers for a recent lung cancer alarm symptom. METHODS: A health survey was sent to 4913 men and women aged >50 years through through General Practice. It included questions on symptoms experienced in the past 3 months (from a checklist), help-seeking (Yes/No) for each symptom and demographic characteristics including smoking status. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between smoking status and help-seeking for a cough or hoarseness. RESULTS: Among 2042 participants (42% response rate), 280 (14%) reported 'cough or hoarseness' in the past 3 months; of whom 22% were current smokers. Being a smoker was associated with reduced likelihood of help-seeking (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.83), even after adjusting for demographic factors (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.21 to 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Delay in help-seeking in smokers for a symptom that is potentially indicative of lung cancer is a cause for concern. Future research could usefully address the psychological mechanisms through which help-seeking in smokers is hindered.

Type: Article
Title: Smokers are less likely than non-smokers to seek help for a lung cancer 'alarm' symptom
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-208063
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2015-208063
Language: English
Additional information: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Keywords: Lung Cancer, Psychology, Tobacco and the lung
UCL classification: UCL
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1483610
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