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Lung cancer (Respiratory)

ADULT

Minimum Referral Criteria

  • Category 1
    (appointment within 30 calendar days)
    • Presence of significant mediastinal lymphadenopathy*
    • Lesions associated with invasion of other thoracic structure including chest wall, vertebra, pericardium or mediastinum*
    • Lesions associated with airway obstruction and distal atelectasis/pneumonitis*
    • Solid pulmonary nodules >=10mm (i.e., where biopsy and PET imaging is feasible) or with evidence of distant metastases or nodules associated with a pleural effusion or associated with hypercalcaemia
    • Previously treated lung cancer with suspected recurrence

    *For optimum care, patient should be seen within 2 weeks

  • Category 2
    (appointment within 90 calendar days)
    • Solid pulmonary nodules >8mm or nodules >6mm in a patient with known malignancy
  • Category 3
    (appointment within 365 calendar days)
    • Solid pulmonary nodules <=8mm*

    *For optimal care, 6-8mm should be seen within 6 months

1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention not otherwise accessible to the patient
  • For advice regarding management
  • To engage in an ongoing shared care approach between primary and secondary care
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Past medical history
  • Current medications
  • Previous cancer history including non-lung cancer treatment
  • Relevant imaging (CXR/CT) (including previous images)
  • Smoking history in pack years (pack years = number of years smoking x number of packs per day)

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • Occupational history
  • Historical imaging (if available)
  • FBC, ELFT and any other relevant pathology results
  • Pathology results of previous cancer

4. Request

Last updated: 21 June 2023