An evaluation of the impact of large-scale interventions to raise public awareness of a lung cancer symptom

Abstract

Introduction:Long-term lung cancer survival in England has improved little in recent years and is worse than many countries. The Department of Health funded a campaign to raise public awareness of persistent cough as a lung cancer symptom and encourage people with the symptom to visit their GP. This was piloted regionally within England before a nationwide rollout.Methods:To evaluate the campaign's impact, data were analysed for various metrics covering public awareness of symptoms and process measures, through to diagnosis, staging, treatment and 1-year survival (available for regional pilot only).Results:Compared with the same time in the previous year, there were significant increases in metrics including: public awareness of persistent cough as a lung cancer symptom; urgent GP referrals for suspected lung cancer; and lung cancers diagnosed. Most encouragingly, there was a 3.1 percentage point increase (P<0.001) in proportion of non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed at stage I and a 2.3 percentage point increase (P<0.001) in resections for patients seen during the national campaign, with no evidence these proportions changed during the control period (P=0.404, 0.425).Conclusions:To our knowledge, the data are the first to suggest a shift in stage distribution following an awareness campaign for lung cancer. It is possible a sustained increase in resections may lead to improved long-term survival.

The UK Lung Cancer Screening Trial: a pilot randomised controlled trial of low-dose computed tomography screening for the early detection of lung cancer

“…In the case of a national lung cancer screening programme, efforts to improve uptake must include strategies for engaging women and targeting high-risk, hard-to-reach groups, including the those aged > 70 years, smokers and those from the poorest areas. This may involve targeted initiatives designed to raise awareness of lung cancer, such as the Be Clear on Cancer campaign 102 and adapted screening invitation materials to prepare people for informed participation. Increasing uptake and providing support for underserved groups will be key to implementing an equitable lung cancer screening programme in the UK.…”

Patient perspectives on delays in diagnosis and treatment of cancer: a qualitative analysis of free-text data

“…Issues relating to the variation in the public awareness of cancer symptoms and the effectiveness of awareness campaigns have also recently been reported. 19,20 This builds on, and has implications for, knowledge about the effectiveness and importance of public awareness campaigns.…”

MicroRNA-122-3p inhibits tumor cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting Forkhead box O in A549 cells

“…The prevalence and mortality rates of lung cancer have increased worldwide (1)(2)(3). The detection and pathological research of lung cancer are important in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer diseases (4,5). In view of this, it is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying cell proliferation and apoptosis in lung cancer cells.…”