Patients attending GP practices with the highest rate of chest x-ray referrals are more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer earlier, a new study has confirmed.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield studied more than 170,000 lung cancer patients recorded alongside chest x-ray rates from 7,400 GP practices in England.
They found that patients attending practices which more frequently referred people for chest x-ray were more likely to be diagnosed with earlier stage lung cancer when the disease is more treatable.
These patients also had better one and five-year survival rates.
Dr Stephen Bradley from the University of Sheffield’s School of Medicine and Population Health was the lead author of the study:
“Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths both in the UK and globally. This is an important step forward in our understanding of how to improve lung cancer detection.
“Our research strongly suggests that increasing the use of chest x-rays for patients with relevant symptoms can lead to earlier diagnosis and, crucially, better chances of survival.”
The results come after we published our recommendations on improving the earlier diagnosis of symptomatic patients.
Recognising the significant degree of variation in chest x-ray referrals between GP practices, we called for the wider roll out of self-referral x-ray programmes allowing people with potential symptoms to request their own chest x-ray, without first having to see a GP.
Chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Paula Chadwick, said: “This is a very important study which supports the recommendations we published at the end of last year; chest x-rays improve the earlier diagnosis of lung cancer.
“Too often do we speak to people who waited far too long for a chest x-ray. Now we have the evidence to prove that chest x-rays, whilst not perfect, can play a significant role in saving lives.
“We now need to make sure this route to diagnosis is clear of obstacles. We need to roll out more self-referral programmes as well as ensure GPs are referring more people with symptoms for a chest x-ray.”
Liam’s story
Lynn and Gordon Handley lost their son, Liam to lung cancer in 2022. Liam had visited his GP on numerous occasions with symptoms but did not have an x-ray until he went to A&E.
Last year, his parents joined our Let Go of the Labels campaign to rid the disease of archaic stereotypes and improve earlier diagnosis of the disease.
Willie Hamilton CBE, Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at the University of Exeter and co-author of the study, said: “This study matters. There’s few cancer tests available in general practice which are fairly accurate, fairly cheap and very acceptable to patients.
“Now we know that doing more chest X-rays finds more cancers, and identifies them earlier in their growth, which is crucial to the best outcomes for patients.”