Survival of Australian lung cancer patients and the impact of distance from and attendance at a thoracic specialist centre: a data linkage study

Abstract

NSCLC outcome is best when patients are treated in a specialist hospital. Greater distance to the NASH can affect its outcome by reducing the likelihood of being treated in a specialist hospital. Research is needed into patient and health service barriers to referral of NSCLC patients for specialist care.

Association between age, deprivation and specific comorbid conditions and the receipt of major surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer in England: A population-based study

“…Travel issues (eg, costs and time to travel) may well also come into play in these groups of patients. A study conducted in Australia showed that the longer the distance to a specialist hospital the lower the chance of receiving surgery 42. A comparable investigation would be to assess urban-rural difference in access to treatment and receipt of surgery, as reported in the USA and in Ireland,28 43 as well as whether a patient was first seen at a thoracic surgical centre 30.…”

Deprivation, distance and death in lung cancer

“…Khakwani et al ,14 also in this issue, have demonstrated that lung cancer centres in England with specialist thoracic surgical services have higher resection rates for patients referred directly to them than for those referred from the wider and much larger catchment areas that they serve. Reporting in this issue too, Tracey et al ,15 from New South Wales in Australia, found that the further patients live from a specialist thoracic surgical centre, the less likely they are to receive surgical treatment for their lung cancer. In both these studies and others from the UK, the outcomes from larger specialist thoracic surgical centres19 with greater number of specialist thoracic surgeons20 21 were superior to smaller units.…”

Socioeconomic position and delays in lung cancer diagnosis: should we target the more deprived?

“…Distance has been shown in Australia and the UK, to be associated with less treatment 24 25. It is important therefore to ensure that travel is made easy, as this may be more difficult for those in more deprived groups.…”