Healthcare professionals across the lung cancer pathway want people with possible lung cancer symptoms, such as a persistent cough, to request a chest X-ray without first seeing a GP.
The group shared its recommendations in the British Journal of General Practice. Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation facilitated the work. The group also calls for GP practices to publish data showing how many people request a chest X-ray annually. In addition, they want people to check symptoms and book tests through the NHS app to support earlier diagnosis.
Why access should be easier
Lung cancer remains the biggest cancer killer in the UK. It accounts for over a fifth of all cancer deaths. Around three quarters of people receive a diagnosis at a late stage, when curative treatment is no longer possible.
Doctors often find lung cancer difficult to diagnose. Many symptoms, including a persistent cough, are very common. As a result, diagnosis takes an average of three months from the time symptoms begin. Many people also struggle to get a GP appointment, which adds further delay.
Nick Whitehead, 58, from Newton Aycliffe, visited his GP repeatedly for around 18 months with a persistent cough. He never received a referral for a chest X-ray.
Eventually, he was diagnosed with lung cancer two years later via A&E after coughing up blood. He was given a 50% chance of surviving for five years.
I think I wasn’t sent for tests because I was so fit. As a scuba diver, my lung capacity is good, so I wasn’t short of breath, but given that we’re constantly told that a persistent cough is a symptom of lung cancer, it’s odd that I wasn’t sent for an x-ray at the very least.
Nick Whitehead, diagnosed with stage 3b lung cancer
“Had I had the opportunity to request an x-ray, I would have taken myself off for one. My wife would have made sure of it!”
Our thoughts
Paula Chadwick, our chief executive, said: “Far too often we hear stories of people like Nick whose lung cancer could have been diagnosed sooner. It is imperative we do everything we can to change this.
“We are making progress, largely through screening with 76% of those caught at stages 1 and 2.
“However, with more than half of lung cancers arising in people who aren’t eligible for screening and only around half of those who are eligible choosing to participate, improving early detection amongst those with symptoms is key to transforming long-term survival.”
Stephen Bradley is the lead author of the paper and a practicing GP in Leeds. He said: “A lung cancer diagnosis can be devastating but spotting it early can make all the difference.
“We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is so much more we need to do
We need to make it easier for people with symptoms to get tests like chest x-ray and ways to raise awareness of the disease, including people who haven’t smoked.
Stephen Bradley, practicing GP in Leeds
“We hope health services across the UK will seriously consider these recommendations and help us give people who have lung cancer the best chance possible.”