Oncology

Uncovering unwarranted variation in lung cancer diagnosis

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with 48,000 people diagnosed each year.¹ Lung cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases facing our healthcare system, with survival outcomes heavily dependent on the timing of diagnosis. Unwarranted variation in healthcare delivery is a long-standing challenge. Furthermore, the NHS Long Term Plan states that one of the biggest actions the NHS can take to improve cancer survival is to diagnose cancer earlier. 

We partnered with Health Service Journal (HSJ) to undertake a population-based study, using NHS England Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data, to explore the possibility of unwarranted variation in initial diagnosis of lung cancer across England. 

We believe the first step in addressing unwarranted variation in lung cancer diagnosis is understanding where these inequities exist, providing NHS system leaders with a base knowledge to develop effective strategies to improve access and reduce inequity.

The ‘Lung cancer diagnosis in England in 2024. Can we do better?’ study highlights several inequalities in lung cancer diagnosis in England. A notable example is that patients with mental health conditions are more likely to be diagnosed initially with advanced disease than those without mental health conditions.² They are also significantly more likely to receive their initial diagnosis via A&E.²

The intricacies of these inequities from this study can be explored further throughout this report, which has been prepared to help Cancer Alliances, Commissioners, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and other service providers explore inequity in their locality and take learnings from best practice examples.

This report was commissioned and funded by Bristol Myers Squibb.