Investigators have revealed that patients with certain chronic conditions may face delays in being diagnosed with lung cancer, according to a recent study published by Rogers et al in the British Journal of Cancer.
Background
Lung cancer is currently one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among both male and female patients, with high mortality rates largely the result of late-stage diagnoses.
Study Methods and Results
Investigators analyzed the general practitioner health records and hospital data of 11,870 patients from England who had been diagnosed with lung cancer between 1990 and 2019.
Some chronic conditions—such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma—were capable of obscuring early symptoms of lung cancer. Those with one or more conditions that could provide alternative explanations for lung cancer symptoms experienced delays in receiving their lung cancer diagnoses.
For instance, the patients who had one alternative explanation chronic condition were diagnosed with lung cancer an average of 31 days later, whereas the patients with two or more conditions were diagnosed with lung cancer an average of 74 days later. COPD was identified as the condition resulting in the longest delays in lung cancer diagnosis, with affected patients experiencing delays of 59 days compared with those who didn’t have COPD.
Additionally, the investigators found that conditions placing competing demands on a physician’s time—including arthritis or diabetes—did not significantly impact the time to lung cancer diagnosis once factors like age, sex, and smoking history were considered.
Conclusions
The findings may play a critical role in shaping future early lung cancer diagnostic strategies. The investigators suggested that clinical guidelines should be updated to highlight the potential for chronic conditions like COPD to mask early symptoms of lung cancer. They emphasized the importance of comprehensive patient assessments and the need for health-care professionals to consider the possibility of lung cancer even in patients with existing respiratory conditions. By raising awareness of this issue, they hope to reduce diagnostic delays and improve outcomes in patients with lung cancer.
"This research underscores the need for heightened vigilance in patients with chronic respiratory conditions," underlined lead study author Imogen Rogers, MSc, PhD, of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. "Recognizing that these conditions can mask the symptoms of lung cancer is crucial in ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment," she concluded.
Disclosure: The research in this study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit nature.com.
