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A Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program: Does It Reduce Delay Between Diagnosis and Treatment?
Denise Albano1, Thomas Bilfinger1, Melissa Feraca2
1Department of Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Lung
|November 7, 2020
Summary
A coordinated lung cancer program significantly reduced diagnosis and treatment times, improving patient outcomes. This multidisciplinary approach offers a 29% reduction in time from initial CT scan to treatment commencement.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Diagnostics
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the USA, with over 140,000 annual deaths.
- Delays in diagnosis and treatment negatively impact patient outcomes, potentially missing curative opportunities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the duration of time to lung cancer diagnosis and first treatment.
- To investigate factors contributing to delays in lung cancer care.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of lung cancer cases diagnosed at Stony Brook's Lung Cancer Evaluation Center (LCEC) from 2013-2019.
- Analysis of demographic, radiologic, pathologic, and clinical variables.
- Determination of median time from initial encounter to diagnosis and from diagnosis to treatment initiation.
Main Results:
- The LCEC's multidisciplinary program achieved a median of 44 days from initial presentation to first treatment.
- This represents a 29% reduction compared to the national ideal of 62 days.
- Specific median times included CT to PET (11 days), PET to procedure (13 days), procedure to treatment consult (9 days), and consult to treatment (9 days).
Conclusions:
- A coordinated, multidisciplinary lung cancer program can effectively reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.
- Implementing such programs may lead to improved patient outcomes in lung cancer care.
