{
  "abstract": "Background Prognosis with malignant plural mesothelioma (MPM), which is a rare form of cancer, is poor, yet evidence indicates a better chance of survival if earlier diagnosis is provided. Partly due to late presentation and diagnosis of malignant plural mesothelioma (MPM), the survival rate in the United Kingdom is below the European average. Furthermore, there has been little attention to MPM patients’ experiences prior to diagnosis as available studies have focused on their lived experiences after diagnosis. This study therefore aims to identify the barriers and facilitators to MPM diagnosis and looks to understand the reasons for any variability in patients‘ experiences of the pathway to diagnosis and proposed treatment plans.Methods The theoretical basis for this study is the Model of pathway to treatment (MPT), which highlights four intervals (Appraisal; Help-seeking; Diagnostic; and Pre-treatment) along the pathway to diagnosis where a patient can experience ‘delay’ in obtaining a cancer diagnosis. This model was used to develop the interview topic guide.Patients with confirmed MPM diagnosis were invited to take part in an in-depth, semi-structured interview about their pathway to diagnosis. To ensure the recruitment of the targeted number of participants, participants were purposively recruited from two specialist MPM outpatient clinics in England, of which, one of these clinics manages the second largest number of MPM patients in the country. A total of seventeen participants took part in the study.The interview data were analysed using framework analysis. The MPT was used for the initial coding framework of the interview transcriptions. Common themes were then identified within each MPT interval.Results Our findings identified barriers and facilitators within every interval along the MPM patients’ journey to diagnosis. Within the Appraisal and Diagnostic intervals, the presentation of vague symptoms that were mistaken for a less serious illness were found to be a barrier. Health literacy regarding MPM appears to have an impact on how soon a patient sought help regarding their symptoms. Good health literacy by healthcare professionals (HCPs) appeared to facilitate placement on an MPM diagnostic pathway which reassured patients about better potential outcomes.Conclusion Earlier symptom recognition by both patient and HCPs including General Practitioners (GPs) can be used to target significant and avoidable delays along patients’ MPM diagnosis pathway, thereby promoting earlier diagnosis and treatment options.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Osaretin Oviasu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Dawn Coleby"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Wendy Padley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Kathryn Hinsliff-Smith"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P79 Facilitators and barriers to early diagnosis of malignant plural mesothelioma (FILMM): patients‘ journey towards mesothelioma diagnosis, in England",
  "uid": "8154b078-fe0e-58b3-aebe-874351e894bf"
}