Institute Report
Lung Cancer Won't Wait
Building resilience in lung cancer screening and diagnostics based on lessons from the pandemic
Jun 15, 2021

About the Report

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer screening and diagnostics has been profound, and advances in treatment and development of new technologies have been severely curtailed through this period.  This report looks at how cancer screening and diagnostic services were affected around the world and considers some of the actions that have been taken to tackle the difficulties – and the promise they hold for future efforts. 

Report Summary

The report provides a view to the future and what will be needed to reduce the backlog of patients and to resume services effectively, taking into account the ‘new normal’ and the likelihood that COVID-19 will continue to be present even when the pandemic is over. It considers how we can do this effectively and acknowledges the value of technology and innovations in diagnosis and treatment which are currently being developed, and how they can help to ensure that services are rebuilt more effectively. Awareness campaigns, telemedicine, primary and community care, and collaboration will also be of ongoing critical importance. 

The report also finds that the opportunity to use the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to accelerate positive change is universally recognised.

Key Findings


Exhibit 1: Oncologists' Caseload Percentage Caseload vs Pre-COVID-19 Phase

The immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncology was significant, with many services being suspended or reduced. Oncologists reported a dramatic reduction in caseload numbers immediately, and the effects of this are still being felt almost a year later.  
  • The pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing diagnostic capacity challenges that lung cancer services face.
  • The introduction of additional infection control measures, including the usage of personal protective equipment, preadmission testing, increased scanner cleaning, and separation of COVID-19 negative and positive patient flows, meant that the time required per diagnostic scan almost doubled (UK). This means that patients are not only presenting late but also take longer to progress through the diagnostic pathway. As referrals are increasing, addressing the considerable backlog of outpatient appointments with half of the pre-COVID diagnostic capacity is likely to lead to considerable bottlenecks within lung cancer services. 
 Exhibit 3: Oncologists Survey Responses Regarding Impacts to Patient Care Due to COVID-19
Increased demand from the pandemic and reduced capacity due to staff shielding and redeployment is putting further strain on an already stretched workforce. Investment in diagnostic capacity will only lead to improvements if there are sufficient levels of staff to carry out the procedures. In addition to this, oncologists report that patients have had new and different needs which have put additional strain on their time. Even as recently as February, this effect was still being felt.
Awareness campaigns, tele-medicine, primary and community care, and collaboration are not only valuable to rebuild services, but to vastly improve them.
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