Table 2. Linear regression coefficients estimating the relationship between cancer survival indices and cancer awareness (score and individual symptoms) and barriers to help seeking (score and individual barriers) at PCT level.
| Independent variables | Overall cancer survival index | Breast cancer survival | Lung cancer survival | Bowel cancer survival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness score | 1.56 (0.56; 2.57) | 0.17 (−0.38; 0.71) | 0.58 (−1.34; 2.51) | 0.86 (−0.58; 2.30) |
| Unexplained lump/swelling | 0.12 (0.01; 0.24) | 0.01 (−0.06; 0.08) | 0.02 (−0.19; 0.23) | 0.05 (−0.12; 0.22) |
| Unexplained persistent pain | 0.06 (−0.04; 0.15) | 0.02 (−0.03; 0.07) | 0.02 (−0.15; 0.20) | 0.01 (−0.12; 0.14) |
| Unexplained bleeding | 0.11 (0.01; 0.21) | 0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | 0.04 (−0.14; 0.23) | 0.05 (−0.09; 0.19) |
| Persistent cough/hoarseness | 0.09 (0.01; 0.16) | 0.00 (−0.04; 0.04) | 0.04 (−0.09; 0.18) | 0.07 (−0.04; 0.17) |
| Change in bowel/bladder habits | 0.12 (0.04; 0.16) | 0.01 (−0.03; 0.05) | 0.03 (−0.11; 0.17) | 0.09 (−0.02; 0.19) |
| Difficulty in swallowing | 0.08 (0.02; 0.14) | 0.00 (−0.03; 0.03) | 0.05 (−0.06; 0.17) | 0.06 (−0.02; 0.15) |
| Change in the appearance of a mole | 0.14 (0.07; 0.20) | 0.02 (−0.02; 0.05) | 0.06 (−0.07; 0.20) | 0.09 (−0.01; 0.19) |
| Sore that does not heal | 0.05 (−0.00; 0.11) | 0.01 (−0.02; 0.04) | 0.01 (−0.11; 0.10) | −0.01 (−0.08; 0.07) |
| Unexplained weight loss | 0.12 (0.04; 0.20) | 0.02 (−0.02; 0.06) | 0.05 (−0.10; 0.21) | 0.10 (−0.01; 0.23) |
| Barriers score | −0.14 (−1.28; 0.99) | −0.66 (−1.20; −0.11) | 0.94 (−1.03; 2.91) | 0.05 (−1.56; 1.67) |
| Too embarrassed | −0.06 (−0.14; 0.02) | −0.05 (−0.09; −0.01) | −0.01 (−0.17; 0.14) | −0.07 (−0.19; 0.04) |
| Too scared | 0.00 (−0.08; 0.09) | −0.02 (−0.06; 0.03) | 0.00 (−0.15; 0.15) | 0.03 (−0.14; 0.09) |
| Not confident to talk | −0.06 (−0.17; 0.05) | −0.05 (−0.11; 0.00) | 0.04 (−0.16; 0.25) | −0.12 (−0.28; 0.04) |
| Worry about what GP may find | 0.03 (−0.04; 0.09) | −0.02 (−0.05; 0.02) | 0.06 (−0.06; 0.18) | 0.02 (−0.08; 0.11) |
| Worry about other things | −0.03 (−0.12; 0.05) | −0.07 (−0.11; −0.02) | 0.07 (−0.08; 0.23) | 0.02 (−0.11; 0.15) |
| Transport difficulties | −0.09 (−0.24; 0.06) | −0.11 (−0.18; −0.03) | 0.03 (−0.22; 0.32) | −0.01 (−0.23; 0.21) |
| Too busy | 0.03 (−0.13; 0.06) | −0.07 (−0.11; −0.02) | 0.07 (−0.10; 0.23) | 0.04 (−0.09; 0.18) |
| Worry about wasting GP's time | 0.04 (−0.03; 0.10) | −0.04 (−0.07; −0.01) | 0.03 (−0.08; 0.14) | 0.05 (−0.04; 0.14) |
| Difficulty talking to GP | −0.08 (−0.18; 0.03) | −0.06 (−0.11; −0.00) | −0.04 (−0.23; 0.16) | −0.15 (−0.30; 0.01) |
| Difficulty making appointment | −0.01 (−0.09; 0.07) | −0.06 (−0.09; −0.02) | 0.07 (−0.07; 0.21) | −0.01 (−0.12; 0.11) |
Abbreviations: GP=general practitioner/doctor; PCT=primary care trust.
Weights for all cancer survival estimates were used in models where all cancers survival index was an outcome, and cancer-specific weights were used in models where outcomes were breast, lung, and bowel cancer, respectively. All awareness and barriers scores (and individual symptoms/barriers) were standardised for age and sex in each PCT.
Estimates in bold were statistically significant at P<0.05 level (95% confidence interval).