The role of Indonesian patients' health behaviors in delaying the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background: With an estimated 13,000 newly diagnosed patients per year, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common types of cancer in males in Indonesia. Moreover, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. This study aimed to explore the health behaviors of patients diagnosed with NPC and the possible causes of patient delay in NPC diagnosis.

Methods: A qualitative research method was used to gain better insight into patient behaviors. Twelve patients were interviewed using semi-structured interview guidelines. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed according to a standard content analysis framework.

Results: Most patients had limited knowledge regarding NPC and its causes. Fifty percent of the patients had a delay of six months from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. The main reason for this delay was the lack of awareness among the patients, which was influenced by their environment, economic status, family, culture, and religion. The perceived barriers to seeking medical help included direct non-medical costs not covered by health insurance, complex and time-consuming insurance and referral systems, and negative experiences in the past. Health insurance did motivate people to seek medical help.

Conclusion: This study provides additional insight into patients' motivations to delay seeking medical help and can facilitate the design of NPC education programs. To improve awareness of the abovementioned causes for delay, community-based education programs are highly warranted and should focus on the recognition of NPC symptoms and possible solutions to overcome the main barriers at an earlier disease stage.