Cancer patients appear to lose confidence in their care if they were originally referred late by their GP for tests, a new study suggests.

According to the findings, if it took more than three trips to the GP before being referred for cancer tests, patients tend to be less satisfied with their overall care.

The results are based on an analysis of survey data from over 70,000 cancer patients in the UK.

Of these, almost 60,000 were diagnosed through their GP, and over 13,000 of these (23%) had been seen at least three times before being referred for cancer tests.

The study found that almost 40% of those who had experienced these delays were dissatisfied with the care they received from their GP, compared to 28% of those referred for cancer tests after one or two GP visits.

Patients who were seen at least three times were much more likely to report a negative experience in 10 out of 12 aspects of care that they were asked about. For example, 18% of those left waiting were unhappy with how they were told they had cancer, compared to 14% of those referred after fewer GP visits.

Those left waiting were also more likely to believe that information may have been deliberately withheld from them during treatment. They were also less satisfied with how their GP worked with hospital staff to provide the best possible care.

"This research shows that first impressions go a long way in determining how cancer patients view their experience of cancer treatment. A negative experience of diagnosis can trigger loss of confidence in their care throughout the cancer journey," commented the study's author, Dr Georgios Lyratzopoulos, of University College London.

He noted that when delays occur, it is often because the cancer symptoms that are present are hard to distinguish from other diseases. A lack of accurate and easy-to-use tests also plays a role.

"New diagnostic tools to help doctors decide which patients need referring are vital to improve the care experience for even more cancer patients," Dr Lyratzopoulos added.

Details of these findings are published in the European Journal of Cancer Care.