It is widely recognised that many cancer patients continue to present at late stages of their disease progression. This is despite widespread publicity regarding the importance of early cancer detection and diagnosis leading to better overall health outcomes. Late presentation or neglect of cancer symptoms leads to greater morbidity and poor survival outcomes for many patients. It also causes significant psychological distress for families and carers of these patients. This paper will discuss this psychology of neglect with the hope of understanding better the possible reasons for late presentation and the implications for these patients and their carers. It will also explore the health professional’s response to these presentations and how we may better care for such patients.