British 'stiff upper lip' may prevent early presentation for cancer symptoms

A new study for Cancer Research UK, published in the British Journal of Cancer shows what factors may hold people back from seeking early medical advice for symptoms of cancer.

Embarrassment and not wanting to waste their doctors’ time are more frequently reported by British people than in other countries, according to new research led jointly by King’s College London and UCL (University College London). This may be holding British people back from presenting early with symptoms of cancer. The international study, published today in the British Journal of Cancer, is the largest of its kind, and suggests that cultural factors such as the British ‘stiff upper lip’ may help explain some of the differences in cancer survival rates between the UK and other high-income countries. The survey was undertaken by Ipsos and Cancer Research UK. The study is part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP), a unique global collaboration, which has previously found that for lung, breast, bowel and ovary cancers diagnosed in between 1995 and 2007, Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway had the highest rates of survival, and Denmark and UK the lowest, despite all the countries having similarly good cancer registration systems and good access to health care. For example, one year survival of those diagnosed with lung cancer between 2005 and 2007 for the UK was 30% compared to 44% in Sweden. The researchers therefore wanted to find out whether survival rates for a country might be influenced by the population’s cancer awareness and beliefs. The researchers found there was little difference in awareness of cancer symptoms and beliefs about cancer outcomes between the countries. However, the study revealed significant differences in people’s barriers to symptomatic presentation. Being worried about wasting the doctor’s time was particularly common in the UK (34%) and least common in Sweden (9%). Embarrassment about going to the doctor with a symptom that might be serious was most commonly reported in the UK (15%) and least in Denmark (6%). The study also found that awareness of the risk of cancer being higher in older people varied significantly across countries, being lowest in Canada (13%) and the UK (14%) and highest in Sweden (38%).

Paper reference:

Forbes, L. et al. ‘Differences in cancer awareness and beliefs between Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK (the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership): do they contribute to differences in cancer survival?’ British Journal of Cancer

Techinical note:

In partnership with Cancer Research UK and Ipsos, the team surveyed 19,079 men and women aged 50 and older in Australia (4,002 individuals), Canada (2,064), Denmark (2,000), Norway (2,009), Sweden (2,039) and the UK (6,965).

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