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Lung Cancer - Leading Cause of Death in Canada

Lung cancer is a leading cause of deaths in Canada. The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership has conducted previous studies that have demonstrated it is difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis. This was evident by a range of 28-87 days between referral and treatment start. For optimal care pathways, it is essential that you have access to accurate assessments as well as triage and referral systems that are organized, and that communicate with HCPs patients, HCPs, as well as other healthcare professionals.

Risk Factors

A variety of factors can increase the risk of lung cancer. Some, like smoking, can be altered. Certain things, like age or family history cannot be changed. Risk factors can help doctors predict the likelihood of developing a particular disease. But just because you have a risk-factor does not guarantee that you'll develop the disease. There are also many people who develop cancer without any known risk factors.

Lung cancer is Canada's most popular cancer type and is the most common cause of death due to cancer. Nearly half of non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) patients diagnosed at diagnosis, have advanced disease. canadian pacific aml R aims to improve the outcomes of patients by establishing a more accurate and evidence-based staging system. This system will allow physicians to identify patients suffering from advanced stage disease who are likely to respond to treatment and those who might not in order that the proper treatment can be started earlier.

Lung cancer is often diagnosed in those aged 60 or more years old. Smoking, asbestos exposure and Canadian Pacific Scleroderma family history can all increase the chances of a diagnosis of lung cancer. People who are at a high risk of developing lung cancer should undergo yearly low-dose CT scanning to detect early-stage disease. At present, screening isn't offered in all provinces.

Diagnosis

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer. However, it's one of the most curable cancers when detected at a young stage. Guidelines from Nordic countries and Cancer Care Ontario recommend that the diagnostic test be completed within 28 days of referral, and treatment should be initiated in the majority of patients [25]. In the COVID-19 pandemic lung cancer diagnosis becomes more difficult due to shifting resources and staff to deal with the increasing number of COVID-19 patients, restrictions on testing that create aerosols, and confusion between symptoms of lung cancer and the pandemic.

Treatment

Lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada. The key is timely diagnosis and accessing curative treatment options. Evaluating and optimizing procedures for care is crucial to ensure that patients have the best chance of surviving cancer [1 2]. Regularly scheduled assessments, organized triage, referral and monitoring processes and effective communication between HCPs and other healthcare professionals are essential in the pre-treatment phase.

A multidisciplinary team working well is essential for the successful treatment of advanced lung cancer. Include a doctor who is skilled in EBUS, CT bronchoscopy and a radiation oncologist adept in chest radiotherapy. To make it easier to detect early the use of a regional lung cancer screening program is recommended.

A recent global cross-jurisdictional benchmarking study showed that many jurisdictions struggle to adhere to guidelines recommending that diagnostic work-ups are completed within 28 days of referral, and that treatment should begin within 42 days of CCRRT. This delay is usually attributed to lack of available resources like PET CT equipment and triage protocols for suspected cases and lengthy wait times for appointments in imaging.

In the canadian pacific reactive airway disease R study the durvalumab treatment was shown to be safe and effective in clinical practice. Furthermore, the 2-year rwPFS was in line with those seen in the canadian Pacific scleroderma study (despite exclusion of patients with PS >1 while canadian pacific cll was limited to PS 0 or 1). Durvalumab is generally tolerated by patients, was discontinued in 9.5% due to pneumonitis or ILD. It is imperative to conduct further studies to determine if the toxicities can be avoided by changing the treatment regimen or choosing a different patient.