Page 16 - Inspire Autumn/Winter Edition 2017

National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway (NOLCP)

The Need for Speed

People with lung cancer can now expect better outcomes after the Lung Cancer Clinical Expert Group (CEG) unveiled
its new National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway (NOLCP) in August 2017. NOLCP is designed to get lung cancer
patients diagnosed faster as well as improve waiting times for treatment.

Currently, the national cancer waiting times standard is 62 days. The NOLCP looks to ensure lung cancer patients start
treatment within 49 days after diagnosis.

Too many patients are diagnosed at late stage. This is partly due to symptoms often only surfacing once the cancer has
developed. However, many others do go to their GP with symptoms but are not referred on for appropriate tests.

The pathway aims to address this and repeatedly draws reference to National Institute of Clinical
Excellence (NICE) guidelines for those demonstrating symptoms.

These guidelines instruct GPs to offer an urgent chest X-ray (to be
performed within two weeks) to assess for lung cancer in people
aged 40 and over if they have two or more of the following
unexplained symptoms, or if they have ever smoked and have one
or more of the following unexplained symptoms:

• Cough

• Shortness of breath

• Fatigue

Early diagnosis and faster treatment options are
key to improving survival rates and a patient’s
quality of life. Just ask Pat and Kelly…

Pat’s Story.
“It was November 2011.

I’d been sent for a scan after suffering from a really
bad chest infection and they found a tiny
‘insignificant’ nodule on my right lung. It was
recommended that I have a follow up scan in six
months – just as a precaution. The results from
that scan showed that the nodule had grown to
one centimetre.
“‘It’s good news and bad news’, the consultant said,
meaning it was cancerous but they’d caught it
early and I could have surgery. A few weeks later,
in I went and out it came and, fortunately, I didn’t
require any further treatment.

“I did feel quite breathless at first and found that
rather scary. However, after attending my local lung
cancer support group, I found out this was something
many people experience.

Pat receiving
her treatment “I was slightly sceptical about going at first but I found it
really good to be able to chat to people outside my family
circle who have gone through the same experiences.

16 Inspire 2017
Expect better diagnosis Expect better treatment Expect better survival rates