@article {DigginsPA3082, author = {Benjamin Diggins and Louise Anning and Sandra Pope and Sally Tapp and Bip D. Patel}, title = {A temporal increase in referrals to a two-week wait lung cancer clinic is not explained by an increase in inappropriate referrals}, volume = {48}, number = {suppl 60}, elocation-id = {PA3082}, year = {2016}, doi = {10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA3082}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, 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 ({\textquoteright}Dendrite{\textquoteright}); 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): p652. Ward et al 2010 AJRCCM Abstracts C40: A4392.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA3082}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }