{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T13:36:07Z","timestamp":1784208967444,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]],"date-time":"2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750636800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001866","name":"Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["16731054"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["16731054"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001866","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Non-specific cancer symptoms are challenging to interpret in general practice. They can be attributed to a wide range of other conditions and delay the cancer diagnosis, increasing the risk of poor outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To summarise existing knowledge on the attribution of non-specific symptoms to potential cancer in general practice and identify gaps in the literature.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a scoping review, following Joanna Briggs Institute\u2019s guidance and reported according to the PRISMA for scoping reviews checklist. Non-specific symptoms were defined based on NICE guidelines for suspected cancer. We systematically searched six databases and search engines for original papers, systematic reviews and doctoral theses. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, full-texts and reference lists. Included articles were then uploaded to the AI-based tool ResearchRabbit to identify further papers. Findings were synthesised using the Refined Andersen Model of Total Patient Delay.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Eight studies were included. These addressed fatigue, recurrent infection, pallor, weight loss, and deep vein thrombosis, with general practitioners (GPs) defining the latter two as cancer-specific. Factors influencing attribution to cancer included pre-existing conditions, the number, type and combination of symptoms as well as GPs\u2019 gut feeling and knowledge, patients\u2019 concern, and the frequency of medical visits.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This scoping review identified a limited number of studies on the attribution of non-specific symptoms to potential cancer in general practice, with symptoms such as pruritus and new-onset diabetes not addressed. It highlights the need for further research into GPs diagnostic reasoning related to non-specific cancer symptoms, especially on under-researched symptoms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0322264","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]],"date-time":"2025-06-23T13:26:38Z","timestamp":1750685198000},"page":"e0322264","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Attributing non-specific symptoms to cancer in general practice: A scoping review"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5935-743X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Gladys","family":"Langue","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"India","family":"Pinker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valerie","family":"Moran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7146-4740","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sophie","family":"Pilleron","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0322264.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"906","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-022-09937-y","article-title":"Assessing how routes to diagnosis vary by the age of patients with cancer: a nationwide register-based cohort study in Denmark","volume":"22","author":"B Danckert","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Cancer"},{"issue":"20","key":"pone.0322264.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1881","DOI":"10.1001\/archinternmed.2009.333","article-title":"Diagnostic error in medicine: analysis of 583 physician-reported errors","volume":"169","author":"GD Schiff","year":"2009","journal-title":"Arch Intern Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0322264.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/cmn071","article-title":"Diagnostic difficulty and error in primary care--a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"O Kostopoulou","year":"2008","journal-title":"Fam Pract"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0322264.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2013.2777","article-title":"Types and origins of diagnostic errors in primary care settings","volume":"173","author":"H Singh","year":"2013","journal-title":"JAMA Intern Med"},{"key":"pone.0322264.ref005","article-title":"Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. 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