RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Lung function in lung cancer – Room for improvement?
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP p2758
VO 38
IS Suppl 55
A1 Maria Wing
A1 Duncan Powrie
YR 2011
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2758.abstract
AB COPD and lung cancer both have clear associations with cigarette smoking and frequently present late. The aim of the study was to identify whether newly diagnosed lung cancer patients had spirometry consistent with undiagnosed COPD or had COPD which was under treated.The clinic and discharge letters of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer at Southend University Hospital in 2010 were reviewed for a previous diagnosis of COPD and their spirometry at the time of diagnosis. Of the 189 patients diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, 136 (52.2% female) had documented spirometry at the time of diagnosis and were therefore included in the database. Of these, 43 patients (31.6%) had been previously diagnosed with COPD, and 90.7% of these were on appropriate treatment for their COPD. 59 patients (43.4%) had spirometry consistent with COPD but had not been diagnosed or treated for COPD; 11 (18.6%) mild COPD, 31 (52.5%) moderate COPD and 17 (28.8%) severe COPD.Many patients with lung cancer have undiagnosed COPD. The high rate of undiagnosed COPD in this population is suggestive of either an unwillingness to attend primary care with their respiratory symptoms or the inability of primary care to diagnose COPD and other respiratory disease. Both may be associated with the late presentation in the UK of many patients with lung cancer. Earlier diagnosis and management of COPD might result in improved lung function and performance status thus allowing more aggressive management of lung cancer and also lead to a greater awareness of symptoms thus resulting in earlier presentation.