Lung cancer experts have today called for action on tackling emergency presentation of lung cancer, launching a high profile report and series of recommendations at a British Lung Foundation (BLF) Parliamentary event hosted by Barbara Keeley MP, Shadow Minister for Public Health. Speakers at the event, supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb, include Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison MP.

Tackling Emergency Presentation of Lung Cancer: An Expert Working Group Report and Recommendations, published by the BLF to coincide with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, has found that 34% of patients are diagnosed in an emergency, when there is a reduced chance of receiving curative treatment.

Lung cancer is the UK's biggest cancer killer,i accounting for one in five of all cancer deaths. Survival rates in this country lag behind those in Europe and the USii, with just one in ten patients in the UK surviving for five years post-diagnosis. This is the devastating effect of late presentation and diagnosis.

The report proposes a number of ways in which to improve this dire prognosis and enhance patient experience.

Recommendations include:

  1. Funding for a national campaign (such as Be Clear on Cancer, Detect Cancer Early or Be Cancer Aware) be maintained or increased in order to raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer. Research shows that the Be Clear on Cancer campaign successfully led to the earlier diagnosis of people with lung cancer, many now undergoing potentially curative surgery. Currently there are no plans to continue.
  2. A commitment be made to rapid adoption of a targeted, evidenced-based lung cancer screening programme, as deemed effective by the UK National Screening Committee, in order to reduce the number of lung cancer patients diagnosed late and via emergency routes.
  3. GPs be able to make direct access referrals for CT scans for patients with suspected lung cancer, without having to refer them to a specialist. This could mean overall savings for the NHS by reducing emergency admissions and avoiding late diagnosis.
  4. All chest x-rays and CT scans be formally reported to the individual requesting them within four days.
  5. A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) be available to all patients undergoing investigations for suspected lung cancer.

Barbara Keeley MP, Shadow Minister for Older People, Social Care and Carers, said:

"I am delighted to be able to support the British Lung Foundation and the work of the Expert Lung Cancer Working Group in Parliament today. It is deeply distressing that survival rates for lung cancer in the UK continue to lag behind other countries.

"We must take action now to reduce the number of people diagnosed through emergency routes and ensuring that once diagnosed, people with lung cancer swiftly receive the best care and treatment from the NHS. It could really mean the difference between life and death."

Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said:

"Late presentation and diagnosis are key reasons for the very poor survival rates from this disease, which are worse in the UK than in Europe and the US. Diagnosing lung cancer at an earlier stage could greatly improve the success of treatment and, therefore, survival.

"It is time for lung cancer to be prioritised, and for the stigma associated with the disease to be overcome. Other cancers have seen marked improvements in outcomes, now we must ensure that lung cancer is not left behind."

Dr Tom Newsom-Davis, Chair of the Expert Lung Cancer Working Group, added,

"The high rates of emergency diagnosis mean many lung cancer patients are diagnosed when their disease is too advanced for curative treatment. Our recommendations offer tangible proposals for ways to reduce emergency diagnoses and improve the patient experience, including targeted awareness campaigns, access to specialist nurses and improved communication between primary and secondary care clinicians.

"By placing the patient at the centre of their own care I believe we can change the rhetoric of lung cancer as Britain's biggest cancer killer to one of a treatable disease, improving both patient experience and survival rates."

Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison MP, said:

"Early diagnosis and access to swift and effective treatment is crucial to improving survival rates. Although the rate of emergency lung cancer diagnoses has fallen, too many lung cancer patients are being diagnosed at this stage. We are moving in the right direction but we know we have to do more.

"It is also important that we maintain a relentless focus on the reducing the causes of cancer. Smoking rates are currently at their lowest ever levels and I want to continue this downward trend. This is why we are currently developing a new tobacco strategy - to reduce the impact of our country's biggest preventable killer and prevent unnecessary disease and death.

"I welcome today's report from the British Lung Foundation and cancer experts for its comprehensive recommendations and we will consider it in detail."