Friday 30th October 2020 Missed our free GatewayC webinar on Lung Cancer vs COVID-19? Watch our recording here. In this webinar GatewayC met Dr Matthew Evison, Consultant Chest Physician and Director of the Lung Pathway Board, and Dr Seamus Grundy, Consultant...
Cancer Keys: Differentiation of the Cs in Lung Cancer: Cancer vs COVID-19
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Potential pitfall:
Overlapping lung cancer and COVID-19 symptoms means that the message to patients about early diagnosis is negated by the messages necessary to control the COVID pandemic.
Helpful hint:
Consider the following action if a patient presents with features more suggestive of lung cancer and overlapping symptoms of a cough, breathlessness and fatigue:
- Arrange an urgent nasal/oropharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 PCR and if negative:
- Refer for Chest X-ray or direct to lung cancer service for CT and triage on the National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway
- If PCR positive, manage according to current COVID-19 guidelines and review after 2 weeks if hospital admission not required; consider 2 week wait referral in patient recovered from COVID-19 in whom lung cancer suspected
- If symptoms require urgent attention, consider emergency admission
Please note: the NICE NG12 guideline recommends offering an urgent chest X‑ray (to be performed within 2 weeks) to assess for lung cancer in people aged 40 and over if they have 2 or more of the following unexplained symptoms, or if they have ever smoked and have 1 or more of the following unexplained symptoms including a cough, fatigue and shortness of breath.
References:
Evison, M. et al (2020) Differentiation of the Cs in lung cancer: Cancer vs Covid-19. Available at: https://www.healthylondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Differentiation-of-the-Cs-in-lung-cancer_-Cancer-vs.-COVID.pdf (Accessed 29 June 2020).
Cancer Keys are brought to you by GatewayC.
Download this Cancer Key here
Read the NICE NG12 guideline here

Latest from the Blog
Meet the specialists: lung cancer vs COVID-19 Q&A
Friday 30th October 2020 Missed our free GatewayC webinar on Lung Cancer vs COVID-19? Watch our recording here. In this webinar GatewayC met Dr Matthew Evison, Consultant Chest Physician and Director of the Lung Pathway Board, and Dr Seamus Grundy, Consultant...
Meet the specialists: acute leukaemia Q&A
Friday 23rd October 2020 Missed our free GatewayC webinar on Acute Leukaemia? Watch our recording here. In this webinar GatewayC met Dr Amit Patel, a Consultant in Cellular Therapies and Stem Cell Transplantation, who answered key questions from our audience. These...
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Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used to treat acid reflux and dyspepsia. NICE cautions that PPIs can mask or alter symptoms of stomach cancer, leading to later diagnoses. Potential Pitfall Patients on PPIs who have developed stomach cancer may increase their...
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