New Zealanders experiences and pathways to a diagnosis of bowel cancer: a cross-sectional descriptive study of a younger cohort
Zoe Windner, Sue Crengle, Brandon de Graaf, Ari Samaranayaka, Sarah Derrett
Bowel cancer is a significant health issue in New Zealand, with over 3,000 people diagnosed each year, but little was known about the process of diagnosis. We surveyed a small group, of mostly younger patients, to gain some insight into this process for the first time. Most of our sample first approached a layperson, then a general practitioner. The majority of our sample took over six months to reach diagnosis; this was more likely if aged under 60 years, without a tertiary qualification, or were diagnosed in the public sector. Our research is not representative of the whole population diagnosed with bowel cancer, but provides some early indicators and highlights the potential for improvement in the healthcare system.