Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants diagnosed with brain tumours
| Variable |
Participants (n = 39) n (%) |
|---|---|
| Age at interview (mean age = 53 years, range = 22–74) | |
| 21–40 | 10 (26) |
| 41–60 | 15 (38) |
| ≥61 | 14 (36) |
|
| |
| Sex | |
| Male | 21 (54) |
| Female | 18 (46) |
|
| |
| Region of England | |
| Eastern | 30 (77) |
| North Western | 9 (23) |
|
| |
| Patient interval (first symptom to first presentation)a | |
| <7 days | 5 (13) |
| 1–4 weeks | 3 (8) |
| 1–6 months | 10 (26) |
| 7–12 months | 11 (28) |
| >12 months | 10 (26) |
|
| |
| Diagnostic interval (first presentation to diagnosis)a | |
| <7 days | 1 (3) |
| 1–4 weeks | 16 (41) |
| 1–6 months | 15 (38) |
| 7–12 months | 5 (13) |
| >12 months | 2 (5) |
|
| |
| Reported consultations with GPs in primary care | |
| 0 | 7 (18) |
| 1 | 15 (38) |
| 2 | 9 (23) |
| ≥3 | 8 (21) |
|
| |
| Reported consultations with emergency care | |
| Emergency only (no contact with GP) | 7 (18) |
| Emergency care with contact with GP | |
| • GP contact before emergency care | 14 (36) |
| • GP contact after emergency care | 1 (3) |
| • GP contact before and after emergency care | 5 (13) |
| No emergency care | 12 (31) |
|
| |
| Tumour type | |
| Diffuse astrocytoma | 5 (13) |
| Anaplastic astrocytoma | 4 (10) |
| Oligodendroglioma | 2 (5) |
| Anaplastic oligodendroglioma | 2 (5) |
| Glioblastoma | 22 (56) |
| Other astrocytic tumours | 2 (5) |
| Unknown | 2 (5) |
|
| |
| Tumour location | |
| Frontal (including frontoparietal × 2) | 20 (51) |
| Temporal | 10 (26) |
| Parietal (including parieno-occipital × 2) | 4 (10) |
| Occipital | 2 (5) |
| Other (thalamus × 1, tempero-insula × 1, N/A × 1) | 3 (8) |
|
| |
| WHO gradeb | |
| Low grade: II | 8 (21) |
| High grade: III/IV | 7/22 (18/56) |
| Ungraded | 2 (5) |
a
Participant account, not confirmed from clinical records.
b
Brain tumours are graded by the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1 −4, according to how they behave. Tumours graded 1 and 2 are slow growing, whereas tumours graded 3 and 4 are fast-growing, more aggressive tumours. N/A = not applicable.