§ Mr. BaronTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to introduce better techniques for diagnosing lung cancer. [151255]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department of Health published "Improving Outcomes Guidance on Lung Cancer" in 1998. This guidance provides advice on how lung cancer services in the national health service should be organised to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients. It addresses the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer and recommends that a full range of diagnostic tests should be available within cancer services.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is also preparing clinical guidelines (advice on assessment and treatment of a condition) for the NHS on the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. The guideline will provide guidance on diagnosis including early diagnosis; key symptoms and signs upon which a patient should be referred; factors encouraging patients to present to healthcare services sooner; diagnostic methods; staging and the impact of lung cancer on a patient's activities, as well as the need to be referred to other health professionals if required. The guideline is expected to be published in November 2004.
In addition, in March 2000, Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer were published by the Department, and sent to all general practitioners in order to help them identify those patients who are most likely to have cancer, so that they can be referred urgently to a specialist. These guidelines include a chapter on lung cancer. NICE is in the process of updating these guidelines and the update is due to be published in February 2005.
The Department are aware of the potential benefits positron emission tomography (PET) scanning can offer patients with lung cancer, particularly in assessing the stage of the disease. We will be consulting with doctors, voluntary organisations and other stakeholders on a national framework which will set out which tumour groups would benefit from PET scanning, likely future demand, and the implications for the optimal configuration and location of PET scanners for both clinical and research needs.
The work of the Modernisation Agency's Cancer Services Collaborative 'Improvement Partnership' (CSC'IP') is central to the drive to improve the 328W detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. A specific goal of the CSC'IP' is to promote early diagnosis of lung cancer.