Acute Medicine | Respiratory | New lung cancer diagnosis and management

New Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Management
Session Overview
Description
This session discusses the investigation and initial management of patients with suspected lung cancer, either in clinic or as in-patients, covering the important questions in the history, salient examination points and investigations before a multidisciplinary team discussion.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• List five important questions in undertaking a history in a patient with lung cancer
• List five important possible examination findings in a patient with lung cancer
• Discuss the essential initial investigations
• Describe when a patient is suitable for surgery and why it carries the best prognosis

In most hospitals, lung cancer services are run as a multidisciplinary model with a team (MDT) which includes respiratory physicians, cardiothoracic surgeons, radiologists, medical and clinical oncologists, lung cancer nurses and often an MDT coordinator.

MDT meetings are organised on a weekly basis to discuss patients with suspected lung cancer to aid in diagnosis and treatment.

If a patient with a suspected cancer is seen in outpatients or the emergency department it is important to have a working knowledge of the relevant investigation and treatment options, including identifying those patients that may benefit from surgery or chemo/radiotherapy.

The majority of primary malignant tumours in the lung are one of the following:

• Non-small cell lung cancers (NSLCs) - adenocarcinomas, squamous cell and large cell carcinomas
• Small cell lung cancers (SCLCs)

The distinction is important as treatment can differ depending on the cell type.