Table 1. Risk factors for patient-mediated delay.

Risk factor	Breast	Upper GIa	Colorectal	Urob	Gync	Lung
Demographic
Age (older)	↑	⊙	=	=	⊙	=
Sex (male)	N/A	=	=	↑	N/A	=
Socio-economic status (lower)	⊙	↑	=	↑	=	=
Education level (lower)	↑	⊙	↑	=	=	=
Ethnicity (non-white origin)	↑	↓	⊙	↑	=	○
Marital status (married/co-habiting)	=	=	⊙	=	=	=
Clinical
Symptom type	↑	↑	↑	↑	↑	⊙
Symptom – pain	◊	↓	↓	↑	↓	⊙
Symptom – bleeding	◊	↓	⊙	↓	↓	○
Symptom impacts on daily life	○	↓	↓	↓	↓	↓
Co-morbidity	○	↓	↓	○	○	=
Infrequent care seeking	○	○	⊙	↑	↑	○
Personal/family history of cancer	○	⊙	⊙	↓	○	⊙
Psychosocial
Non-recognition of symptom seriousness	↑	↑	↑	↑	↑	↑
Fear	○	↑	↑	↑	↑	↑
Embarrassment	○	○	↑	↑	○	○
Social support/advice	↓	=	↓	=	↓	=

Abbreviation: GI=gastrointestinal.

Key: ↑ increases delay; ↓ reduces delay; = no impact on delay; ⊙ inconclusive evidence; ○ lacking evidence; ◊ any non-lump symptom.

Risk factor included only if supported by studies providing strong or moderate levels of evidence (Sources: Ramirez et al, 1999; Macdonald et al, 2004, 2006; Mitchell et al, 2008).

^aDuodenum, oesophagus, pancreas, small intestine, stomach.

^bBladder, kidney, prostate, testes.

^cCervix, endometrium, ovary, uterus, vagina, vulva.