Lung cancer services redesigned to speed up treatment, reveals Yousaf

Lung cancer services have been redesigned to ensure patients receive faster access to treatment.

The redesigned services set timeframes for each step to enable a patient’s diagnosis by day 21 after referral and treatment for most to start by day 42, which the Scottish Government said is significantly more ambitious than current cancer waiting times standards.

Lung cancer is Scotland’s most common cancer and the most common cause of cancer death in Scotland, with 3,874 deaths in 2020.

The new nationally-developed “lung cancer pathway”, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, is the first to be developed in Scotland and is being funded by £3 million from the Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Earlier Programme.

Scotland’s Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, said: “Lung cancer is the most common cancer in Scotland with around 5,500 cases diagnosed each year.

“The number of new cases is predicted to increase by 29% for women and 12% for men by 2027. That’s why we have to do as much as we can to tackle this disease.

“This redesign means faster and more efficient treatment for lung cancer patients. Even in advanced disease, newer treatments have improved patient outcomes but are highly dependent upon the patient remaining fit enough to receive those treatments.”

The Scottish Government said that health boards will use the money to re-align services so patients can receive multiple tests, where clinically appropriate, at the one time and reduce their visits to hospital and speed up diagnosis.

Dr Phil Hodkinson, respiratory physician and joint clinical lead for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, said: “The design of Scotland’s first national optimal cancer diagnostic pathway has been driven by lung cancer experts and NHS Scotland leaders.

“It is anticipated that, once implemented, this will increase efficiency of services and improve patient experience and outcomes for those affected by Scotland’s most common cancer.”