Friday 27th November 2020 Missed our free GatewayC webinar on Improving Early Diagnosis? Watch our recording here. In this webinar, GatewayC met Dr Anthony Cunliffe, Joint National Lead Macmillan GP Adviser, and Dr Ben Noble, East Midlands Cancer Alliance and Cancer...
Thursday 19th November 2020 Did you miss our free webinar on Lung Cancer vs COVID-19? Watch it here. Beginning a conversation on the topic of resuscitation with your patient and their families can be difficult. Often, resuscitation is best discussed in the context of...
Potential pitfall: In the early course of the disease, pancreatic cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. However, sudden onset diabetes in groups of patients for whom this would be unexpected can be an early indicator. Helpful hint: NICE NG12 guidelines recommend...
Potential pitfall: Jaundice can be a classic symptom of pancreatic cancer; about half of patients have jaundice when they first go to their GP. Yet, pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose as symptoms can vary or may be late, vague and non-specific. Helpful hint:...
Potential pitfall:
There has been a significant reduction in suspected cancer referrals during the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, lung cancer is a major cause of premature death in the UK. Clinician’s must identify those at risk of lung cancer and investigate when appropriate, to ensure we do not miss opportunities for early diagnosis and curative treatment.
Helpful hint:
Consider this guidance when selecting patients for a chest X-ray or a suspected lung cancer referral during coronavirus, if a patient presents with a persistent cough > 3 weeks and:
NICE guidelines recommend offering an urgent chest X-ray (to be performed within 2 weeks) to assess for lung cancer in people aged 40 and over, who have ever smoked and present with a cough; or are aged 40 and over who present with a cough and another red flag symptom, or a persistent or recurrent chest infection. Refer using a suspected cancer pathway referral (for an appointment within 2 weeks) if they are aged 40 and over with unexplained haemoptysis, or their chest X-ray suggests lung cancer.
References:
Dr Matthew Evison, Consultant Chest Physician and Clinical Lead, Director of the Lung Pathway Board and clinical lead for the CURE project for Greater Manchester
Kennedy et al. Lung cancer stage-shift following a symptom awareness campaign. Thorax. 2018 Dec;73(12):1128-1136
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