Clearer picture needed on lung cancer, experts say

AUDITS of centres where people are treated for lung cancer should be published so that cure rates can be compared.

That’s one of the procedures called for by cancer experts attending a three-day lung cancer conference which starts today.

Medical experts attending the major international conference in Dublin will emphasise the need to treat all lung cancer patients in specialist cancer units. They also want radical surgery and chemotherapy to become the accepted standard of care because it offers a higher cure rate.

The three-day conference, hosted by the British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) in association with the Irish Cancer Society, will also recommend the publication of audit results. This will allow for a comparison of treatment outcomes in centres in Ireland.

Although complete removal of the tumour in the lung is associated with cure, recurrence of the cancer occurs in the majority of patients.

Large multi-national trials have shown chemotherapy following surgery can lead to even longer survival. Other studies are examining the benefits of also giving chemotherapy before surgery.

Consultant oncologist at St James’s Hospital in Dublin and chair of the BTOG, Dr Ken O’Byrne, said all patients diagnosed with lung cancer needed to be treated in specialist cancer units that had high-quality diagnostic, treatment and support facilities.

And, he said, in cases where a tumour can be treated with surgery, the surgeon should be a dedicated specialist lung cancer surgeon.

After surgery a multidisciplinary team including an oncologist, radiotherapist and, where necessary, a palliative care physician should manage the patient.

“Cancer multidisciplinary teams work to get the best possible outcome for the patient, both for cure and quality of life, and the touchstone in Irish cancer services should be nothing less than this,” he said.

Experts at the conference will also recommend that waiting times between diagnostic tests for lung cancer and the issuing of results should be as short as possible and more than 90% of patients should be admitted for surgery within three weeks of the decision to operate.

*Anyone concerned about lung cancer can contact the Irish Cancer Society National Cancer helpline on 1800 200 700 or access their website at www.cancer.ie.