Allow more people in UK with lung cancer symptoms to self-refer for tests, say experts
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Making it easier to get chest X-rays, rather than having to wait for a GP referral, could improve survival rates, finds study. More people with lung cancer symptoms in the UK should be able to self-refer for tests rather than wait for their GP to request them, experts have suggested.
Making it easier for those with symptoms to get chest X-rays could help speed up diagnosis and improve survival rates from the disease, they said. “A lung cancer diagnosis can be devastating but spotting it early can make all the difference,” said Dr Stephen Bradley, lead author of the study and a practising GP in Leeds.
The analysis, published in the British Journal of General Practice, cited self-request chest X-ray services that have been established in Leeds and Greater Manchester. Patients with symptoms such as a persistent cough, tiredness and difficulty breathing can access radiology services directly under the schemes, with the report of their X-ray sent to their GP.
The analysis highlighted that people in less affluent groups and smokers are more likely to use the service. Previous research found that the rate of diagnosis from self-referral (about 1%) is similar to those referred by their GP in the conventional way, suggesting that people use the service appropriately. The wider rollout of these services “warrants urgent consideration” given the “present difficulties patients face in accessing primary care”, according to the authors and the charity Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
