PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jan Ho
AU  - Annette McWilliams
AU  - Jon Emery
AU  - Christobel Saunders
AU  - Christopher Reid
AU  - Suzanne Robinson
AU  - Fraser Brims
TI  - Integrated care for resected early stage lung cancer: innovations and exploring patient needs
AID  - 10.1136/bmjresp-2016-000175
DP  - 2017 Aug 01
TA  - BMJ Open Respiratory Research
PG  - e000175
VI  - 4
IP  - 1
4099  - http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000175.short
4100  - http://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000175.full
SO  - BMJ Open Resp Res2017 Aug 01; 4
AB  - There is no consensus as to the duration and nature of follow-up following surgical resection with curative intent of lung cancer. The integration of cancer follow-up into primary care is likely to be a key future area for quality and cost-effective cancer care. Evidence from other solid cancer types demonstrates that such follow-up has no adverse outcomes, similar health-related quality of life, high patient satisfaction rates at a lower cost to the healthcare system. Core elements for successful models of shared cancer care are required: clear roles and responsibilities, timely effective communication, guidance on follow-up protocols and common treatments and rapid routes to (re)access specialist care. There is thus a need for improved communication between hospital specialists and primary care. Unmet needs for patients with early stage lung cancer are likely to include psychological symptoms and carer stress; the importance of smoking cessation may frequently be overlooked or underappreciated in the current hospital-based follow-up system. There is therefore a need for quality randomised controlled trials of patients with resected early stage lung cancer to establish optimal protocols for primary care-based follow-up and to more adequately address patients' and carers' unmet psychosocial needs, including the crucial role of smoking cessation.