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Review
. 2024 Jul 18;2(1):49.
doi: 10.1186/s44263-024-00082-1.

Challenges in understanding inequities in help-seeking for possible cancer symptoms

Katriina L Whitaker  1 , Tetyana Perchyk  2 , Robert S Kerrison  2 , Agnieszka Lemanska  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Challenges in understanding inequities in help-seeking for possible cancer symptoms

Katriina L Whitaker et al. BMC Glob Public Health. .

Abstract

Tackling inequities in cancer outcomes is a global health priority. One avenue for improving early diagnosis of cancer is to ensure people know when and how to seek help for cancer symptoms and that this knowledge (and behaviour) is equitably distributed across the population. In this perspective piece we highlight the challenges in understanding sociodemographic differences in help-seeking behaviour (for example, how help-seeking is defined / conceptualised and subsequently assessed), as well as challenges with using existing datasets that are now more readily accessible than ever. Addressing these will strengthen methodological approaches to understand inequities in help-seeking and ways to tackle them.

Keywords: Cancer; Early diagnosis; Help-seeking; Inequities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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