Patient and carer perceived barriers to early presentation and diagnosis of lung cancer

To improve patient survival from lung cancer, early detection remains an critical factor, along with prompt referral. The objective of this systematic review was to identify the barriers to help-seeking and diagnosis of lung cancer, identified by patients and their carers. Over 900 publications were identified after searching three databases, with 14 studies meeting inclusion criteria. The barriers identified were grouped into three categories: healthcare provider and system factors, patient factors and disease factors. The synthesis identified that the most common barriers to early presentation related to poor relationships between GPs and patients, a lack of access to services and care for patients and a lack of awareness of symptoms. Addressing these barriers offers an opportunity to increase the rates of early detection of lung cancer in the future. Read the full text