Lung cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the UK and the most common cause of cancer death. Earlier diagnosis is key to improving outcomes, but this can be challenging for lung cancer. Read below for information and tips for health professionals to support the timely recognition of lung cancer in primary care.
Lung Cancer Insight guides for GPs and health professionals:
Lung Cancer Insight guide for GPs in England and Wales(PDF, 312 KB)
Lung Cancer Insight guide for GPs in Scotland(PDF, 101 KB)
Lung Cancer Insight guide for GPs in Northern Ireland(PDF, 127 KB)
Across the UK, most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a later stage, with up to half of those with a known stage diagnosed at stage 4. Patients diagnosed at a later stage are less likely to survive their cancer.
For example, in Wales, 4% of those diagnosed at stage 4 lung cancer survive their disease for five years or more (2018-2022 data), with a similar picture for across England (5%) and Northern Ireland (2% 2014-2018 data) (data for Scotland is not publicly available).
A third of people diagnosed with lung cancer in England with a known route to diagnosis are diagnosed via emergency presentation. This proportion is higher in Northern Ireland (41%), and data is not available for Scotland or Wales. Among people diagnosed with lung cancer via emergency presentation in England, more than two-thirds (68%) are diagnosed at stage 4. We know that people diagnosed via managed routes e.g. from primary care are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier stage. Timely recognition and referral of lung cancer by primary care professionals is therefore vital to improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.
Find the latest lung cancer statistics here
Discover more about how to support the timely recognition of lung cancer in primary care.
This information has been written to support health professionals, academics and researchers. If you are a patient or carer, you may want to visit our public facing webpages.
You can contact our Strategic Evidence team if you have any questions.
Cancer Research UK. Lung cancer statistics
Cancer Research UK. Early diagnosis hub
