Patients who are experiencing symptoms that could be due to cancer are willing to wait an extra three and a half weeks for an appointment with a doctor with good listening skills, and an extra week for an appointment with a GP of their choice.
Contacting a doctor for advice when experiencing a potential cancer symptom is an important step in early diagnosis, but barriers to consultation are commonly reported. Understanding barriers to consulting in primary care within the cancer context provides opportunities to improve earlier diagnosis of cancer.