Variation in Lung Cancer Treatment Rates
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Variation in Lung Cancer Treatment Rates
IRAS ID
240697
Contact name
Rebecca Smittenaar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Public Health England
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ODR1718_079, Public Health England ODR ref
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The purpose of this service evaluation is to establish:
•whether there is variation between hospital trusts in access to a range of lung cancer treatment pathways.
•the impact of patient, tumour and provider characteristics on access to lung cancer treatments.In addition, we will investigate potential variation in the application of combined chemoradiotherapy and sequential chemoradiotherapy (combined chemoradiotherapy is linked with increased long-term survival and is recommended by NICE guidelines for stage 3 NSCLC patients, although in practice the interpretation of this recommendation for stage 3a and 3b patients could vary).
We will further examine the access to precision medicines which require molecular diagnostic testing for their use (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors).
Through this service evaluation, we will identify NHS Trusts that have significantly lower access to treatment or targeted therapies, which may include highly risk-averse decision making, or practical considerations which prevent patients from receiving treatment such as long travel times to hospital or inadequate support for patients when they are receiving these treatments.
In some instances, such as frailty, old age or the presence of co-morbidities, it may be appropriate that patients do not receive a particular treatment. Patients may choose to not receive treatment.
However, variation as a result of other factors such as geography, sex, deprivation status or ethnicity may be more problematic to explain, and this could highlight that more needs to be done to remove barriers to accessing treatments.
Understanding variation in accessing treatments, will inform policy makers and commissioners regarding where efforts should be focused to ensure equitable access to effective treatments for NSCLC, and improve patient outcomes.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0040
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion