Abstract
Introduction: The two-week wait clinic (TWWC) was established at our institution in 2000 to facilitate rapid diagnosis of lung cancer. 180 patients were referred in its first two years; 1 in 2 (48.8%) were diagnosed with lung cancer1. By 2008, referrals increased >3 fold while diagnosis of lung cancer fell to 1 in 32, suggesting more inappropriate referrals. We reviewed TWWC referrals from 2015.
Methods: Data on referrals and all lung cancer diagnoses were obtained from the hospital and lung cancer databases ('Dendrite'); cases referred in the first quarter of 2015 were analysed.
Results: Compared to 2008, TWWC referrals increased by 47.8% in 2015 (301 vs 445), with fewer diagnosed with lung cancer (35.2% vs 30.8%). The proportion not meeting referral criteria fell (21% vs 14.8%). The total number of lung cancers increased (222 in 2008 vs 306 in 2015); those diagnosed through TWWC did not differ significantly in 2002 (37.2%), 2008 (47.7%) and 2015 (44.8%, p=0.08).
Conclusions: The temporal increase in referrals to the TWWC is concordant with an increase in lung cancer diagnoses; this is not attributable to an increase in inappropriate referrals. The increase in lung cancer diagnosis is likely due to better case detection than a true increase in incidence, but further analysis is required.
1. Dobson et al 2002 Thorax 57(S3): p65
2. Ward et al 2010 AJRCCM Abstracts C40: A4392.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
