BACKGROUND AIM: To gain insight into @entity1 and doctor delay in @entity5 ( @entity5 ) and factors associated with delay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty of the 66 eligible @entity1 ; median age 26 (range 17-45) years, diagnosed with @entity5 at the University Medical Center Groningen completed a questionnaire on @entity1 ' delay: interval from symptom onset to first consultation with a general practitioner (GP) and doctors' delay: interval between GP and specialist visit. RESULTS: Median @entity1 reported delay was 30 (range 1-365) days. @entity1 delay and @entity5 stage were associated (p = .01). Lower educated @entity1 and @entity1 embarrassed about their scrotal change reported longer @entity1 delay (r = -.25, r = .79 respectively). Age, marital status, @entity5 awareness, warning signals, nor perceived limitations were associated with @entity1 delay. Median @entity1 reported time from GP to specialist (doctors' delay) was 7 (range 0-240) days. Referral time and disease stage were associated (p = .04). Six @entity1 never reported a scrotal change. Of the 54 @entity1 reporting a testicular change, 29 (54%) @entity1 were initially 'misdiagnosed', leading to a median doctors' delay of 14 (1-240) days, which was longer (p< .001) than in the 25 (46%) @entity1 whose GP suspected @entity5 (median doctors' delay 1(0-7 days). CONCLUSIONS: High variation in @entity1 ' and doctors' delay was found. Most important risk variables for longer @entity1 delay were embarrassment and lower education. Most important risk variable in GP's was 'misdiagnosis'. @entity5 awareness programs for @entity1 and physicians are required to decrease delay in the diagnosis of @entity5 and improve disease free survival.

Delay in Diagnosis of XXXX ; A Need for Awareness Programs.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient', 'Patient', 'men'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['TC', 'TC tumor', 'testicular cancer']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['Testicular Cancer']
