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Lung cancer

First targeted therapy approved to prevent recurrence of early stage NSCLC

Osimertinib (Tagrisso) has been TGA registered as adjuvant therapy after tumour resection in early stage, EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is the first targeted therapy available to prevent recurrence of disease in this patient group. The evidence comes from the...

Osimertinib (Tagrisso) has been TGA registered as adjuvant therapy after tumour resection in early stage, EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer...

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lung-cancer

Funding for lung cancer nurses a ‘breakthrough’: Dr Vanessa Brunelli

The first-ever federal funding allocation for specialist lung cancer nurses is painfully small in dollar terms, but it might signal a shift in attitudes towards Australia’s deadliest cancer. Of the $6.9 million outlay for lung cancer programs announced in the May...

The first-ever federal funding allocation for specialist lung cancer nurses is painfully small in dollar terms, but it might signal...
lung-cancer

New treatment option approved for patients with early stage NSCLC

Osimertinib (Tagrisso) has been TGA registered as adjuvant therapy after tumour resection in early stage, EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor is the first targeted therapy available to prevent recurrence of disease in this patient group. The...

Osimertinib (Tagrisso) has been TGA registered as adjuvant therapy after tumour resection in early stage, EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer...
lung-cancer

Memorial Fund set up for oncologist who died of lung cancer at 40

A fund to support cancer research has been set up in memory of NSW oncologist Dr Sharlyn Kang who died of lung cancer at the age of 40. The Memorial Fund, which aims to raise $100,000 to support the continuation of...

A fund to support cancer research has been set up in memory of NSW oncologist Dr Sharlyn Kang who died...
lung-cancer

First steps on national lung cancer screening program to begin in July

Early scoping of a potential national lung cancer screening program will begin from 1 July 2021 with funding allocated in the federal Budget. Cancer Australia has announced it will lead the collaborative engagement of key stakeholders in the early design...

Early scoping of a potential national lung cancer screening program will begin from 1 July 2021 with funding allocated in...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer top of the list for assisted dying

Lung cancer is the leading reason for people with terminal illness to seek medical assistance to end their lives, according to the latest figures from Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board. However other serious respiratory conditions such as COPD were infrequently...

Lung cancer is the leading reason for people with terminal illness to seek medical assistance to end their lives, according...
lung-cancer

Breath test better than low dose CT for lung cancer screening

A simple breath test that detects volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers may be the way forward for lung cancer screening, according to Chinese researchers. In an evaluation study, exhaled breath analysis was found to be a practical and reliable test...

A simple breath test that detects volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers may be the way forward for lung cancer screening,...
lung-cancer

Why physicians should be ‘driving instructor’ when it comes to opioids: Natasha Smallwood

When it comes to opioid prescribing, respiratory physician Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood says discussion is lacking in a critical area that can put patients and the public at risk for harm: driving. Of 1022 outpatients with advanced...

When it comes to opioid prescribing, respiratory physician Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood says discussion is lacking in a...
lung-cancer

PD-L1 points to poor outcomes in EGFR lung cancer

High expression of PD-L1 is associated with shorter survival and resistance to targeted therapies in patients with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, according to a new study. While PD-L1 expression has been shown to be associated with response to immunotherapy, previous...

High expression of PD-L1 is associated with shorter survival and resistance to targeted therapies in patients with EGFR-mutant lung...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer screening widened to target younger smokers 

The US Preventive Services Task Force has updated a recommendation on low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening that has stood since 2013, lowering the age threshold and reducing the required degree of smoking history – but some experts...

The US Preventive Services Task Force has updated a recommendation on low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening that...
lung-cancer

Less ‘harm’ from lung cancer screening than trials suggested 

The 'harms' of screening for lung cancer such as overdiagnosis are much lower in real-world implementation than were suggested in large RCTs, UK researchers report. Presenting combined real-world data from five UK pilot sites at the 2020...

The 'harms' of screening for lung cancer such as overdiagnosis are much lower in real-world implementation than were...
lung-cancer

Older therapy is new maintenance option for patients with mesothelioma

While new immunotherapy options are gaining attention in mesothelioma, older chemotherapy treatments such as gemcitabine may still offer benefits for some patients, oncologists say. Results from a Dutch trial of switch-maintenance gemcitabine have shown significant improvement in  progression-free survival  with...

While new immunotherapy options are gaining attention in mesothelioma, older chemotherapy treatments such as gemcitabine may still offer benefits for...
lung-cancer

KRAS inhibition comes of age for lung cancer?

A phase 2 study of sotorasib in advanced KRAS p.G12C mutated non-small cell lung cancer has delivered promising results including a disease control rate of 80.6%. Dr Bob Li, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in the US, presented the...

A phase 2 study of sotorasib in advanced KRAS p.G12C mutated non-small cell lung cancer has delivered promising results including...
lung-cancer

National lung cancer screening program recommended in report

A targeted lung cancer screening program is predicted to prevent 12,000 deaths and deliver a gain of 30,000-50,000 QALYs in its first ten years. The survival benefits of the program, as outlined in a Cancer Australia report on lung cancer...

A targeted lung cancer screening program is predicted to prevent 12,000 deaths and deliver a gain of 30,000-50,000 QALYs in...
lung-cancer

TSANZ says new evidence strengthens case against vaping for smoking cessation

Respiratory experts have urged parliament not to ease access to electronic cigarettes, saying new evidence has confirmed that vaping has little benefit in tobacco smoking cessation and harms the lungs. Professor Matthew Peters, Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, has...

Respiratory experts have urged parliament not to ease access to electronic cigarettes, saying new evidence has confirmed that vaping has...
lung-cancer

Real world lung cancer screening adherence is lower than trial rates

In a major reality check for lung cancer screening advocates, adherence rates in the real world are a far cry from the achievements seen in RCTs such as the NELSON and NLST trials. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the...

In a major reality check for lung cancer screening advocates, adherence rates in the real world are a far cry...
lung-cancer

Screening reveals high rates of early stage silicosis in stone workers

More than a third of stone workers reviewed by a respiratory physician in a Victorian program have been diagnosed with silicosis. A study of 239 workers who had completed their two-step evaluation in the Victorian Stonemason Health Assessment and Research...

More than a third of stone workers reviewed by a respiratory physician in a Victorian program have been diagnosed with...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer overtaken by dementia as second leading cause of death in males

Dementia has replaced lung cancer as the second leading cause of death for males in Australia. For females, lung cancer has fallen from fourth to fifth highest cause of death, according 2019 figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In its...

Dementia has replaced lung cancer as the second leading cause of death for males in Australia. For females, lung cancer has...
lung-cancer

New TSANZ guidance on respiratory surveillance for dust diseases

The TSANZ  has released new recommendations on respiratory surveillance to tackle the rapidly re-emerging threats of coal mine dust lung disease and silicosis in artificial stone workers. Following recent serious outbreaks of mining-related pneumoconiosis and artificial stone (AS) silicosis, the TSANZ...

The TSANZ  has released new recommendations on respiratory surveillance to tackle the rapidly re-emerging threats of coal mine dust lung...
lung-cancer

Lung screening is coming to Australia – the question is in what form

The evidence of lung cancer screening benefit is now so strong that it will inevitably come to Australia, the only question being how it is implemented, according to local experts. Presentations at the recent ERS 2020 virtual congress showed that the...

The evidence of lung cancer screening benefit is now so strong that it will inevitably come to Australia, the only...
lung-cancer

Why lung cancer patients don’t receive guideline recommended therapy

Most patients with lung cancer are receiving guideline-concordant treatment (GCT) but there is still plenty of room for improvement, a Victorian study has shown. Using data from almost 5,000 patients with NSCLC or SCLC recruited to the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry...

Most patients with lung cancer are receiving guideline-concordant treatment (GCT) but there is still plenty of room for improvement, a...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer screening evidence contested at ERS 2020

There is now "more than enough" evidence to implement screening programs for lung cancer, the lead author of a European Respiratory Society review paper on the topic told delegates at the society's virtual annual conference. In a debate session during ERS2020,...

There is now "more than enough" evidence to implement screening programs for lung cancer, the lead author of a European...
lung-cancer

ALK inhibitor suitable for first line therapy in NSCLC

The ALK inhibitor lorlatinib could be used in first line treatment of ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because of its high efficacy against brain metastases, an Australian-led phase 3 trial has shown. An interim analysis of the CROWN trial, presented...

The ALK inhibitor lorlatinib could be used in first line treatment of ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because of its...
lung-cancer

Advanced mesothelioma: frontline chemoimmunotherapy shows promise in DREAM trial

A combination of durvalumab and standard first-line chemotherapy has shown promise for the management of untreated patients with advanced mesothelioma unsuitable for surgery. The phase 2 single-arm Australian study, published in The Lancet Oncology, is the first clinical trial reporting...

A combination of durvalumab and standard first-line chemotherapy has shown promise for the management of untreated patients with advanced mesothelioma...
lung-cancer

Assisted dying scheme needs more respiratory specialists on board

Specialists utilising Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying laws to assist terminally-ill patients say there is a desperate need for more doctors to get involved, as new figures show the number of patients using the scheme has far surpassed initial estimates. A new...

Specialists utilising Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying laws to assist terminally-ill patients say there is a desperate need for more doctors...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer patients with COVID-19 have 36% mortality rate: TERAVOLT

People with thoracic cancers are at higher risk of death from COVID-19 with one in three dying, according to the latest data from the international TERAVOLT registry. Presenting an update of COVID-19 outcomes for 1053 patients with a range of lung...

People with thoracic cancers are at higher risk of death from COVID-19 with one in three dying, according to the...
lung-cancer

Lessons from NELSON study: implementation trials the next step in lung cancer screening

Countries should be building their national lung cancer screening programs given the clear cut evidence that screening is effective, that the benefits outweigh the harms, and that it can also be cost effective. Speaking at ATS 2020 Virtual, Professor Harry de...

Countries should be building their national lung cancer screening programs given the clear cut evidence that screening is effective, that...
lung-cancer

First positive results for dual immunotherapy in mesothelioma

Dual immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab should be the new standard of care for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to researchers whose trial showed improved overall survival compared to platinum-based chemotherapy. Presented at the International Association for the Study...

Dual immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab should be the new standard of care for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, according...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer detected at earlier stage with biomarker-based screening

The addition of a biomarker blood test in a lung cancer screening program can increase the detection of early stage disease and may offer a more targeted approach, a UK study has shown. An autoantibody blood test followed by imaging detected...

The addition of a biomarker blood test in a lung cancer screening program can increase the detection of early stage...
lung-cancer

Biomarker blood test may detect earlier stage disease in lung cancer screening

The addition of a biomarker blood test in a lung cancer screening program can increase the detection of early stage disease and may offer a more targeted approach, a UK study has shown. An autoantibody blood test followed by imaging detected...

The addition of a biomarker blood test in a lung cancer screening program can increase the detection of early stage...
lung-cancer

Dual immunotherapy approved for NSCLC

The TGA has approved a dual immunotherapy regimen combined with limited chemotherapy for the frontline treatment of some advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). The combination of nivolumab (Opdivo), a PD-1 inhibitor, plus ipilimumab (Yervoy), a CTLA-4 inhibitor, with two cycles...

The TGA has approved a dual immunotherapy regimen combined with limited chemotherapy for the frontline treatment of some advanced non-small...
lung-cancer

TSANZ comes out strongly against e-cigarettes

The TSANZ’s long-awaited position statement on e-cigarettes has been released with a firm rejection of their use for smoking cessation on the grounds that vaporised nicotine products are unproven and unsafe. The TSANZ has now joined other health groups such...

The TSANZ’s long-awaited position statement on e-cigarettes has been released with a firm rejection of their use for smoking...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer research faces shake-up after dramatic split of ALTG

The Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group (ALTG) president and entire Management Advisory Committee have quit and started their own breakaway trials group in a dramatic split from the Lung Foundation Australia (LFA), which described it as “not in the best...

The Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group (ALTG) president and entire Management Advisory Committee have quit and started their own breakaway...
lung-cancer

KRAS mutation targetable for better outcomes in smokers with NSCLC

The most common of the KRAS mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been flagged as potentially targetable and may therefore help improve patient outcomes. A real-world study from the Thoracic Malignancies Cohort at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre comprised...

The most common of the KRAS mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been flagged as potentially targetable and...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer outcomes gap still wide for Indigenous Australians

Indigenous people with lung cancer are much more likely to die than non-Indigenous people, despite having similar stage at diagnosis and receiving similar treatments, a new study from the NT has found. A review of outcomes for 91 Indigenous and...

Indigenous people with lung cancer are much more likely to die than non-Indigenous people, despite having similar stage at diagnosis...
lung-cancer

Call for lung cancer specialist nurse funding

The government is being urged to fund specialist lung cancer nurses in the same way as it is already funding specialist nurses for other common cancers. A petition backed by Lung Foundation Australia calls for this years Federal Budget to provide...

The government is being urged to fund specialist lung cancer nurses in the same way as it is already funding...
lung-cancer

Osimertinib could be new standard of care for EGFRm NSCLC

Osimertinib has been shown to be useful in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with resectable disease, according to a ‘practice-changing’ presentation at the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program. Professor Roy Herbst, chief of medical oncology from Yale...

Osimertinib has been shown to be useful in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with resectable disease,...
lung-cancer

A/Prof Nick Pavlakis: how lung cancer care has changed in the COVID-19 pandemic

Working from home, using telehealth, shielding patients from the virus and adjusting treatments: in this article, lung cancer specialist Associate Professor Nick Pavlakis talks to the limbic about the profound impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on medical oncology...

Working from home, using telehealth, shielding patients from the virus and adjusting treatments: in this article, lung cancer specialist Associate...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer linked to higher mortality in COVID-19

Cancer specialists from several countries have used the American Association for Cancer Research's virtual meeting to report their early experiences of the impact of COVID-19 disease in cancer patients, including how lung involvement may be a risk for higher mortality. Dr...

Cancer specialists from several countries have used the American Association for Cancer Research's virtual meeting to report their early experiences...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer conference: Associate Professor Nick Pavlakis on the steps to improving care

The 8th Biennial Australian Lung Cancer Conference 2020 was held in Melbourne recently. The Limbic spoke to Associate Professor Nick Pavlakis, president of the Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group (ALTG) for his perspective on...

The 8th Biennial Australian Lung Cancer Conference 2020 was held in Melbourne recently. The Limbic...
lung-cancer

ALCC 2020: Lung cancer screening works – it’s time to do it

Australia doesn’t have to wait for all the answers before starting a lung cancer screening program - it should instead “jump in and do it”. Speaking to the limbic after the Australian Lung Cancer Conference (ALCC) 2020 in Melbourne, Dr Henry...

Australia doesn’t have to wait for all the answers before starting a lung cancer screening program - it should instead...
lung-cancer

Case for targeted lung cancer screening bolstered by NELSON results, experts say

The case for targeted screening programs for lung cancer has been bolstered by results from the European NELSON study, a leading UK clinician argues. Professor David Baldwin, consultant respiratory physician in Nottingham and a member of NHS England's advisory group on...

The case for targeted screening programs for lung cancer has been bolstered by results from the European NELSON study, a...
lung-cancer

PBS broadens access to COPD triple therapy and lung cancer immunotherapy

For COPD patients the PBS is to remove the clinical criteria restricting access to patients with a FEV1 <50% of predicted for triple therapy Trelegy (fluticasone furoate with umeclidinium and vilanterol) from 1 March 2020. The move is expected to allow...

For COPD patients the PBS is to remove the clinical criteria restricting access to patients with a FEV1 <50% of...
lung-cancer

Vaping backed for smoking cessation in ‘pragmatic’ new RACGP guidelines

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has given a conditional recommendation for the use of e-cigarettes as a last resort in smoking cessation guidelines. However the College stresses the move is not a major shift in policy or...

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has given a conditional recommendation for the use of e-cigarettes as a...
lung-cancer

National Dust Disease Taskforce’ advice slammed as lacking urgency

The Federal government has accepted all recommendations of the National Dust Disease Taskforce’s interim report, but lawyers representing stonemasons affected by accelerated silicosis have condemned the Taskforce's advice as “pathetic and weak”. Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the government will...

The Federal government has accepted all recommendations of the National Dust Disease Taskforce’s interim report, but lawyers representing stonemasons affected...
lung-cancer

Lung Foundation seeks help to counter Big Tobacco’s latest toxic product

Lung Foundation Australia is seeking clinician support for its advocacy campaign against Big Tobacco’s bid to market another harmful product in Australia: heat-not-burn (HnB) tobacco. Unlike e-cigarettes that use chemical liquids, HnB electronic devices contain tobacco leaf...

Lung Foundation Australia is seeking clinician support for its advocacy campaign against Big Tobacco’s bid to market another...
lung-cancer

Active case finding urgently needed for silicosis epidemic: TSANZ

The silicosis epidemic uncovered among artificial stone cutting workers in Queensland is likely to be replicated in NSW but the state government has been accused of having no idea of the numbers. An audit of 140 workplaces in Queensland has...

The silicosis epidemic uncovered among artificial stone cutting workers in Queensland is likely to be replicated in NSW but the...
lung-cancer

Disappointing results for mesothelioma trial

Data from the highly anticipated PROMISE-meso trial failed to deliver, with no PFS or OS benefit seen for pembrolizumab compared to standard chemotherapy. The Phase III trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress...

Data from the highly anticipated PROMISE-meso trial failed to deliver, with no PFS or OS benefit seen for...
lung-cancer

Atezolizumab shows OS benefit over chemo in PD-L1 high NSCLC

Atezolizumab is a promising first line treatment option for patients with PD-L1 high NSCLC, interim OS analysis from the IMpower110 trial suggests. Presenting data at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 congress in Barcelona, Dr David R. Spigel from...

Atezolizumab is a promising first line treatment option for patients with PD-L1 high NSCLC, interim OS analysis from the IMpower110...
lung-cancer

First KRAS-targeted therapy for lung cancer shows promise

Until now KRAS-positive lung cancers have been considered ‘undruggable’ but early results with the first targeted therapy have shown promising and durable response rates. Presented at the World Congress on Lung Cancer 2019 meeting in Barcelona, the phase 1 study results...

Until now KRAS-positive lung cancers have been considered ‘undruggable’ but early results with the first targeted therapy have shown promising...
lung-cancer

Vaping-NRT combination boosts smoking quit rates

New evidence from a New Zealand vaping study suggests that more smokers could successfully quit if they use e-cigarettes in combination with nicotine patches. The randomised trial, published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, is said to be the first to test...

New evidence from a New Zealand vaping study suggests that more smokers could successfully quit if they use e-cigarettes in...
lung-cancer

Warning of normal X-rays in silicosis patients

Chest X-ray findings range from “normal” in 43% of silicosis cases through to progressive massive fibrosis in 21% of the 78 cases identified in Queensland stonemasons since December 2018. According to a retrospective review of the cases, chest radiographs appear...

Chest X-ray findings range from “normal” in 43% of silicosis cases through to progressive massive fibrosis in 21% of the...
lung-cancer

Minister requests feasibility study for lung cancer screening

Federal minister for health Greg Hunt has responded to calls for a funded lung cancer screening pilot trial by saying he would like to see a feasibility study. Speaking at a World Lung Cancer Day event on 1 August organised...

Federal minister for health Greg Hunt has responded to calls for a funded lung cancer screening pilot trial by saying...
lung-cancer

Start date announced for National Dust Disease Taskforce

A National Dust Disease Taskforce that includes three respiratory physicians will start work next month to develop a national approach to managing the re-emerging epidemic of workplace silicosis. Announced on 26 July by Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy,...

A National Dust Disease Taskforce that includes three respiratory physicians will start work next month to develop a national...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer: personalised medicine to be delivered by ‘molecular champions’

Oncology clinics of the future may be organised by tumour biomarker signature rather than by disease, a specialist meeting in Sydney has heard. With novel selectively-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) likely to become available from next year, it may make more...

Oncology clinics of the future may be organised by tumour biomarker signature rather than by disease, a specialist meeting in...
lung-cancer

Silicosis patients also at risk of scleroderma

Occupational exposure to silica dust can lead to accelerated early-onset scleroderma as well as silicosis, workers are being advised by a personal injury law firm. Young workers in the stone cutting industry are developing autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and rheumatoid...

Occupational exposure to silica dust can lead to accelerated early-onset scleroderma as well as silicosis, workers are being advised by...
lung-cancer

PBS allows unrestricted pemetrexed use in first-line treatment of NSCLC

The PBS de-restriction of pemetrexed to allow it to be used in the first-line treatment of NSCLC has been welcome by the Medical Oncology Group of Australia. Chair Professor Chris Karapetis said the changing of the listing for pemetrexed on the...

The PBS de-restriction of pemetrexed to allow it to be used in the first-line treatment of NSCLC has been welcome...
lung-cancer

‘Non-expandable lung’ common finding in mesothelioma patients

The presence of ‘non-expandable’ lung in patients with mesothelioma may be more common than previously reported and is linked to shorter survival, according to UK researchers who carried out a ten-year study. In an analysis of 229 patients, a team from...

The presence of ‘non-expandable’ lung in patients with mesothelioma may be more common than previously reported and is linked to...
lung-cancer

Atezolizumab-based combination gets first line approval for metastatic NSCLC

The TGA has approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), and chemotherapy (paclitaxel and carboplatin), for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The immunotherapy-chemotherapy combination is indicated for patients with EGFR mutant...

The TGA has approved atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), and chemotherapy (paclitaxel and carboplatin), for the first-line treatment...
lung-cancer

1 in 4 patients with advanced NSCLC alive at 5 years with immunotherapy

Five-year survival rates approaching 30% have been seen for some patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with pembrolizumab, according to the latest results from the KEYNOTE-1 study. Presented at ASCO 2019, the new findings show that life expectancy...

Five-year survival rates approaching 30% have been seen for some patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with pembrolizumab,...
lung-cancer

Infographic shows modern day benefits and harms of lung cancer screening

A contemporary infographic on the benefits and harms of lung cancer screening has been developed by an international group of experts.  In a Spotlight article published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine the team from the UK and...

A contemporary infographic on the benefits and harms of lung cancer screening has been developed by an international...
lung-cancer

National Dust Diseases Taskforce to be set up this year

A national dust diseases taskforce will be set up to tackle the epidemic of silicosis in workers in the stone cutting industry. Federal minister for health Greg Hunt has made a $5 million pledge towards the task force following renewed calls...

A national dust diseases taskforce will be set up to tackle the epidemic of silicosis in workers in the stone...
lung-cancer

Respiratory physician wins case against asbestos industry lobbyist

An international expert on mesothelioma has won a landmark legal case against an asbestos industry lobbyist who accused him of falsifying the health risks of the product. Dr Robin Rudd, a UK respiratory physician who has spent...

An international expert on mesothelioma has won a landmark legal case against an asbestos industry lobbyist who accused...
lung-cancer

Professor Ian Yang: exploring coexisting COPD and lung cancer

The devastating diagnosis of lung cancer in patients with COPD has led to some interesting observations such as the apparent higher sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with both diseases compared to lung cancer alone. Speaking at TSANZSRS 2019,...

The devastating diagnosis of lung cancer in patients with COPD has led to some interesting observations such as the apparent...
lung-cancer

Advanced lung cancer patients get real benefits from home exercise support

Home-based rehabilitation to encourage exercise can help improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with inoperable lung cancer. Physiotherapist Lara Edbrooke told the TSANZSRS meeting that lung cancer patients typically had higher levels of symptom distress and uncontrolled symptoms than...

Home-based rehabilitation to encourage exercise can help improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with inoperable lung cancer. Physiotherapist Lara...
lung-cancer

Functional decline at end of life shows ‘tipping point’ in respiratory patients

Functional decline at the end of life shows two distinct trajectories for patients with conditions such as lung cancer and COPD compared to those with more stable illnesses such as dementia, an Australian study has shown. The finding that functional decline for...

Functional decline at the end of life shows two distinct trajectories for patients with conditions such as lung cancer and COPD...
lung-cancer

Woolcock’s lung cancer centre leader looks to microbiome

Lung microbiome researcher Professor Maija Kohonen-Corish has been appointed to lead the Lung Cancer Centre at Sydney’s Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. Professor Kohonen-Corish says that investigation of the role of lung microbiota and lung disease will be among several streams...

Lung microbiome researcher Professor Maija Kohonen-Corish has been appointed to lead the Lung Cancer Centre at Sydney’s Woolcock Institute of...
lung-cancer

Room to improve care for stage lll NSCLC

The lung cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) is critical to best practice and better outcomes in patients with stage lll non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, according to a review article in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, only about half...

The lung cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) is critical to best practice and better outcomes in patients with stage lll non-small...
lung-cancer

RACP calls for urgent action on dust diseases recommendations

The RACP has urged states and territories to adopt TSANZ recommendations to tackle the burgeoning epidemic of silicosis in the manufactured stone industry. The College has welcomed a NSW review of its Dust Diseases Scheme and has called for all sides of...

The RACP has urged states and territories to adopt TSANZ recommendations to tackle the burgeoning epidemic of silicosis in the...
lung-cancer

SABR the treatment of choice for inoperable stage 1 NSCLC

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) should be the treatment of choice for patients with inoperable peripherally located stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), say the Australian authors of a phase 3 trial published in Lancet Oncology. The randomised CHISEL...

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) should be the treatment of choice for patients with inoperable peripherally located stage 1 non-small...
lung-cancer

$4 million launch for National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions

The Lung Foundation of Australia has welcomed government funding of $4 million for its National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions, describing it as “a step in the right direction”. The Plan, launched in Canberra on by Federal Minister for...

The Lung Foundation of Australia has welcomed government funding of $4 million for its National Strategic Action Plan for...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer still diagnosed in emergency settings

Many patients with lung cancer are being diagnosed in emergency settings, and fewer than half see a lung specialist in the lead up to diagnosis, a NSW study shows. A review of “pathways to diagnosis” for  894 people with non-small...

Many patients with lung cancer are being diagnosed in emergency settings, and fewer than half see a lung specialist in...
lung-cancer

CHEST Australia trial shows it’s an uphill challenge to detect lung cancer early

A behavioural intervention to encourage people at increased risk of lung cancer to seek help for respiratory symptoms has led to more consultations but failed to reduce the time to consultation and a potential diagnosis. The CHEST Australia trial, conducted...

A behavioural intervention to encourage people at increased risk of lung cancer to seek help for respiratory symptoms has led...
lung-cancer

Crizotinib and osimertinib listed on PBS for lung cancer

Crizotinib (Xalkori) is now available through the PBS for lung cancer patients with a c-ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene rearrangement. From 1 January the drug is subsidised for patients with Stage IIIB (locally advanced) or Stage IV (metastatic) non-small cell...

Crizotinib (Xalkori) is now available through the PBS for lung cancer patients with a c-ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene rearrangement. From...
lung-cancer

Lung Foundation launches campaign to tackle lack of empathy for lung cancer

The Lung Foundation Australia is launching a campaign to counter the stigma around lung cancer that acts as a barrier to people with the disease getting treatment and support. The belief that all lung cancer is due to smoking - and...

The Lung Foundation Australia is launching a campaign to counter the stigma around lung cancer that acts as a barrier...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer deaths still increasing

Mortality rates for lung cancer are declining given the peak in tobacco consumption has passed, but the number of deaths for Australian men and women will continue to rise until 2040. An analysis of data showed deaths will continue to...

Mortality rates for lung cancer are declining given the peak in tobacco consumption has passed, but the number of deaths...
lung-cancer

Why no breakthrough for mesothelioma? The answer is genomic

The lack of breakthrough treatments for mesothelioma in recent years is because the cancer is not associated with a single genetic mutation that can be targeted, a UK expert told the COSA (Clinical Oncology Society of Australia) 2018 meeting in...

The lack of breakthrough treatments for mesothelioma in recent years is because the cancer is not associated with a single...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer screening within 5 years – but will it target the right people?

Australia is likely to introduce lung cancer screening within five years but it must ensure high risk groups beyond smokers are targeted, researchers told COSA 2018. People who have occupational exposure to asbestos have a high risk of lung cancer similar...

Australia is likely to introduce lung cancer screening within five years but it must ensure high risk groups beyond smokers...
lung-cancer

Pembrolizumab gets PBS listing for first line treatment of advanced NSCLC

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) will be listed on the PBS from 1 November as a first line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a statement manufacturer MSD said the drug will be reimbursed for patients with metaststic (stage...

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) will be listed on the PBS from 1 November as a first line treatment of patients with advanced...
lung-cancer

Key reforms needed to avoid disjointed care for lung cancer patients: LFA

Employing more specialist lung cancer nurses is key to improving access to treatment and reducing clinical nihilism, according to a blueprint report for reform released by Lung Foundation Australia (LFA). The report says lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer...

Employing more specialist lung cancer nurses is key to improving access to treatment and reducing clinical nihilism, according to a...
lung-cancer

Respiratory physician elected to Academy in recognition of medical research

Respiratory physician and asbestos disease researcher Professor Bruce Robinson is among the 37 new Fellows elected to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences  in recognition of their outstanding contributions to health and medical research in Australia. Professor Robinson  is...

Respiratory physician and asbestos disease researcher Professor Bruce Robinson is among the 37 new Fellows elected to the Australian Academy...
lung-cancer

Don’t look for lung cancers on coronary CT angiograms

Opportunistic screening for lung cancers is not recommended on coronary CT scans because they are unlikely to yield worthwhile results from incidental findings, a Victorian study has concluded. While pulmonary nodules are...

Opportunistic screening for lung cancers is not recommended on coronary CT...
lung-cancer

Malignant pleural effusions: the jury is still out on definitive management

An ERS statement on definitive management of malignant pleural effusions has stopped short of recommending either talc pleurodesis or indwelling pleural catheters ahead of the other procedure. The joint European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) summary...

An ERS statement on definitive management of malignant pleural effusions has stopped short of recommending either talc pleurodesis or indwelling...
lung-cancer

Deprescribing call for lung cancer patients taking unnecessary medicines

De-prescribing will help relieve the pill burden for lung cancer patients who are often taking unnecessary preventive medications such as statins and antihypertensives in the advanced stages of their disease, a study shows. A retrospective review of medical records for patients...

De-prescribing will help relieve the pill burden for lung cancer patients who are often taking unnecessary preventive medications such as...
lung-cancer

Big Tobacco vs Australia’s Plain Packaging

Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain tobacco packaging and, despite ongoing litigation, the tobacco industry’s fears are being realised as others follow suit Australia’s starkly ‘plain’ tobacco packages are now a familiar sight. Since December 2012,...

Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain tobacco packaging and, despite ongoing litigation, the tobacco industry’s...
lung-cancer

Young women with lung cancer face early menopause from chemo

Chemotherapy may cause acute amenorrhea leading to early menopause in women with lung cancer, a US study has shown. In findings that may guide advice on embryo and oocyte cryopreservation for young women before cancer treatment, researchers at the Mayo Clinic,...

Chemotherapy may cause acute amenorrhea leading to early menopause in women with lung cancer, a US study has shown. In findings...
lung-cancer

Push to deregulate e-cigs in UK

MPs in the UK have called for a more ‘risk-proportionate’ approach to the regulation of e-cigarettes, where advertising rules and tax duties reflect “evidence of the relative harms of the various e-cigarette and tobacco products available”. In its final report...

MPs in the UK have called for a more ‘risk-proportionate’ approach to the regulation of e-cigarettes, where advertising rules and tax...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer patients benefit from brachytherapy palliation

Endobronchial brachytherapy is underused for the palliation of symptoms in end-stage lung cancer despite its high response rate and low toxicity, NSW research suggests. According to a review of 95 procedures performed in 86 patients at St George Hospital, Sydney,...

Endobronchial brachytherapy is underused for the palliation of symptoms in end-stage lung cancer despite its high response rate and low...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer diagnosis difficulties highlighted in NSW study

One in three patients with lung cancer is diagnosed after an emergency department presentation despite multiple preceding visits to a GP, a study from NSW has shown. Highlighting the difficulties and delays in diagnosis of lung cancer, a review of care...

One in three patients with lung cancer is diagnosed after an emergency department presentation despite multiple preceding visits to a...
lung-cancer

Have your say on National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions

Input from respiratory specialists is being sought on Australia’s first National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions. Working with support from the Federal Department of Health, the Lung Foundation of Australia (LFA) is working on a national plan that will define...

Input from respiratory specialists is being sought on Australia’s first National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions. Working with support from...
lung-cancer

Mesothelioma risk misunderstood, says specialist

A medical oncologist is sounding the alarm over mesothelioma, warning a crisis in medical research funding is putting all Australians at risk. Professor Anna Nowak, director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the University of Western Australia, has...

A medical oncologist is sounding the alarm over mesothelioma, warning a crisis in medical research funding is putting all Australians...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer patients pay more than $20,000 in upfront fees

One quarter of cancer patients are paying more than $20,000 in up-front doctors' fees for their treatment, a new study suggests. Australian researchers linked data from 452 patients with melanoma and breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer to Medicare data on...

One quarter of cancer patients are paying more than $20,000 in up-front doctors' fees for their treatment, a new study...
lung-cancer

Palliative care group opposes opioid prescribing curbs

Palliative medicine clinicians are warning against a regulatory move to curtail GPs’ powers to prescribe opioids. The controversial idea to limit prescribing of Schedule 8 opioids to specialist/authority prescribing or to "certain classes of medical practitioners" was put forward in a...

Palliative medicine clinicians are warning against a regulatory move to curtail GPs’ powers to prescribe opioids. The controversial idea to limit...
lung-cancer

Row over lung cancer drug deal

The Opposition has questioned why the government gave a drug company a special pricing deal for its lung cancer drug, against the advice of the PBAC. Labor has accused Health Minister Greg Hunt of "cherry picking" the PBAC's recommendations after he...

The Opposition has questioned why the government gave a drug company a special pricing deal for its lung cancer drug,...
lung-cancer

Novel therapies begin to ‘outsmart’ ALK-positive NSCLC

Rare ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can achieve an ‘impressive’ overall survival of almost four years (46 months) when aggressively managed, Australian clinicians have shown. A study of 35 patients identified between 2010 and 2016 at the Royal North...

Rare ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can achieve an ‘impressive’ overall survival of almost four years (46 months) when...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer’s other side effect: financial toxicity

A diagnosis of lung cancer comes with a huge financial burden that goes beyond the hefty out of pocket costs for scans, surgery and drug treatments, a patient representative says. Loss of paid employment is a common occurrence for patients with...

A diagnosis of lung cancer comes with a huge financial burden that goes beyond the hefty out of pocket costs...
lung-cancer

Immune therapy benefits confirmed in NSCLC

Overall survival is doubled in patients with metastatic NSCLC  treated with pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy compared to chemo alone, a phase 3 trial has shown. In findings released at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Chicago,...

Overall survival is doubled in patients with metastatic NSCLC  treated with pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy compared to chemo alone,...
lung-cancer

Liquid biopsy could replace lung tissue biopsy: Australian trial

It’s a “no brainer” that liquid biopsy will eventually supersede tissue biopsy in guiding lung cancer treatment decisions, but more work is needed on the practical aspects of the procedure, early Australian experience suggests. A trial of liquid biopsy for detecting...

It’s a “no brainer” that liquid biopsy will eventually supersede tissue biopsy in guiding lung cancer treatment decisions, but more...
lung-cancer

Checkpoint inhibitors show potential for first line use in NSCLC

The next step for immune therapy in lung cancer is in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy as first line treatment, according to oncologist Associate Professor Chris Karapetis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are listed on the PBS as second line treatments for non-small...

The next step for immune therapy in lung cancer is in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy as first line treatment,...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer screening hurdles become apparent in ILST

The practical problems of running  a national lung cancer screening program are becoming apparent as Australian centres enter their second year of a five-year trial of low dose CT testing. With a target of recruiting 2000 current and former smokers to...

The practical problems of running  a national lung cancer screening program are becoming apparent as Australian centres enter their second...
lung-cancer

Ask the right questions for lung cancer symptom control: Prof David Currow

By asking the right questions, clinicians can do much more to help lung cancer patients avoid debilitating symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and cough, according to oncologist Professor David Currow. Patients often...

By asking the right questions, clinicians can do much more to...
lung-cancer

ATLANTIC trial shows immune checkpoint inhibitors may have role in advanced NSCLC

The immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab may have a role in the treatment of EGFR+ tumours with high PD-L1 expression, results from the phase 2 ATLANTIC study show. Published this week in Lancet Oncology the open-label, single-arm...

The immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab may have a role in the treatment of EGFR+ tumours with high PD-L1...
lung-cancer

Nicotine cap on e-cigs ‘too low’, inquiry told

The UK should rethink restrictions on nicotine levels in e-cigarettes, researchers argue, saying people using lower nicotine concentration e-liquids take longer and more frequent puffs, increasing their exposure to potentially harmful compounds. Addressing a parliamentary inquiry into e-cigarettes last week, smoking...

The UK should rethink restrictions on nicotine levels in e-cigarettes, researchers argue, saying people using lower nicotine concentration e-liquids take...
lung-cancer

Asbestos-related lung disease risk will persist, researchers warn

Asbestos-related lung disease has only just peaked in Australia and vigilance is still required against conditions such as mesothelioma for year to come, researchers warn. While asbestos was banned in 2003,  widespread use in building materials prior to this time means...

Asbestos-related lung disease has only just peaked in Australia and vigilance is still required against conditions such as mesothelioma for...
lung-cancer

UK: First guidelines for the management of mesothelioma

The newly-published British Thoracic Society guideline on the investigation and management of pleural malignant mesothelioma should help reduce “wide and unwarranted variation,” in care, according to the lead author. Speaking to the limbic, Dr Ian Woolhouse, consultant respiratory physician at...

The newly-published British Thoracic Society guideline on the investigation and management of pleural malignant mesothelioma should help reduce “wide...
lung-cancer

Mandatory end-of-life care standards to be introduced in 2019

All hospitals and healthcare providers will need to have systems to support optimum end-of-life care under new national quality standards to be introduced in 2019. Routine provision of advanced care plans, substitute decision makers and shared decision making will be key...

All hospitals and healthcare providers will need to have systems to support optimum end-of-life care under new national quality standards...
lung-cancer

Professor Kwun Fong: What does 2018 hold for lung cancer?

What will be the big challenges and changes for lung cancer treatment and research in 2018? we spoke to expert Professor Kwun Fong, Senior Staff Specialist/Clinical Manager Pulmonary Malignancy Unit, at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, to find out. ...

What will be the big challenges and changes for lung cancer treatment and research in 2018? we spoke to expert...
lung-cancer

Modest investment will cut hospitalisations and deaths from lung disease: Lung Foundation

The signs of early lung disease are not being picked up in primary care, warns the nation's respiratory health advocacy group which is calling for a national training program to upskill GPs. Lung Foundation Australia has called on the federal government...

The signs of early lung disease are not being picked up in primary care, warns the nation's respiratory health advocacy...
lung-cancer

Pilot lung health checks identifying cancer in high-risk

Pilot lung health check schemes in London, Liverpool and Manchester demonstrate that it is possible to “reach the unreachable” and diagnose lung cancer early in people at high risk. Delegates at the BTS Winter Meeting heard that targeted screening, intended to...

Pilot lung health check schemes in London, Liverpool and Manchester demonstrate that it is possible to “reach the unreachable” and...
lung-cancer

Evidence builds to support lung cancer screening in high-risk

Lung cancer screening for people at high risk is feasible with risk prediction tools helping to refine the process, the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) Congress was told. Research from the Lungscreen WA Project presented at the Congress showed use...

Lung cancer screening for people at high risk is feasible with risk prediction tools helping to refine the process, the...
lung-cancer

Questions raised about follow-up after lung cancer treatment

More work is needed to clarify optimal surveillance of patients following curative treatment for lung cancer, the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) Congress in Sydney was told. Dr Emily Stone, a senior staff specialist in thoracic medicine at St Vincent’s...

More work is needed to clarify optimal surveillance of patients following curative treatment for lung cancer, the Asian Pacific Society...
lung-cancer

Mesothelioma cases starting to fall

If there can be any good news about mesothelioma, it’s that the peak incidence of the asbestos-related disease has probably been reached in Australia. And the risk of developing mesothelioma from occasional home renovations was extremely low. According to a Narrative...

If there can be any good news about mesothelioma, it’s that the peak incidence of the asbestos-related disease has probably...
lung-cancer

Survey finds lack of empathy for people with lung cancer

The perception that lung cancer patients ‘have only themselves to blame’ is common in the community - suggesting a general lack of empathy and support for patients with lung cancer compared to other severe illnesses. A Lung Foundation Australia survey has...

The perception that lung cancer patients ‘have only themselves to blame’ is common in the community - suggesting a general...
lung-cancer

No urgency to bring in early palliative care for mesothelioma

Early specialist palliative care for patients recently diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma does not improve quality of life or mood over standard care. The findings, presented recently at the 18th World Conference on Lung Cancer, reinforce usual practice to refer patients...

Early specialist palliative care for patients recently diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma does not improve quality of life or mood...
lung-cancer

Precautionary principle is ‘immoral’, vaping inquiry hears

Doctors’ groups have condemned the decision to allow a second tobacco giant to front the federal government’s inquiry into vaping. Philip Morris Limited used its time in front of federal MPs to describe its goal to convert over a quarter of...

Doctors’ groups have condemned the decision to allow a second tobacco giant to front the federal government’s inquiry into vaping. Philip...
lung-cancer

Hundreds of lung cancer cases caused by silica dust

Silica dust exposure is being attributed to over 230 lung cancer cases in Australia each year. The new estimate attempting to quantify damage from occupational exposure to invisible crystalline silica was released by the Cancer Council Australia, which estimates 600,000 Australian...

Silica dust exposure is being attributed to over 230 lung cancer cases in Australia each year. The new estimate attempting to...
lung-cancer

Heart trial finds lung cancer benefit

Results from a trial on the use of the monoclonal antibody canakinumab in heart disease has failed to impress, but an exploratory analysis suggests it may have a role in lung cancer. The trial was not designed to explore the benefits...

Results from a trial on the use of the monoclonal antibody canakinumab in heart disease has failed to impress, but...
lung-cancer

How checkpoint inhibitors are changing the outlook for lung cancer patients

Immunotherapy is making its mark in the management of lung cancer - the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia. Survival is being extended for many patients and new agents have just been added to the PBS for patients who...

Immunotherapy is making its mark in the management of lung cancer - the leading cause of cancer deaths in Australia....
lung-cancer

Lung Foundation welcomes new option for advanced lung cancer

Around 4,500 people living with advanced lung cancer are set to benefit from the new PBS listing of a checkpoint immunotherapy. Nivolumab (Opvido) has been listed on the PBS  for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and advanced (stage...

Around 4,500 people living with advanced lung cancer are set to benefit from the new PBS listing of a checkpoint...
lung-cancer

Big tobacco’s role in vaping inquiry leaves TSANZ fuming 

The TSANZ is questioning why the tobacco industry has a seat at the table of a parliamentary inquiry into the use and marketing of e-cigarettes, claiming it's at odds with Australia's obligations to a WHO agreement. The thoracic society was due...

The TSANZ is questioning why the tobacco industry has a seat at the table of a parliamentary inquiry into the...
lung-cancer

Closing in on targeted therapy for lung SCC

Australian researchers have discovered a better biomarker for identifying which patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma will respond to fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors. The study using patient-derived xenografts in laboratory models of the disease, found high levels of FGFR1 in tumour RNA...

Australian researchers have discovered a better biomarker for identifying which patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma will respond to fibroblast...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer still the #1 cause of cancer death

A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare confirms that lung cancer remains Australia's leading cause of cancer deaths - with over 9,000 deaths from the disease anticipated in 2017. The report, Cancer in Australia 2017, said that...

A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare confirms that lung cancer remains Australia's leading cause of cancer...
lung-cancer

Reason for PBAC rejection of cancer medicines important for patients and doctors

More clarity around the reasons cancer medicines are rejected by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) would better inform discussions between clinicians and their patients, a medical oncologist says. Dr Deme Karikios, who practices at the Nepean Hospital and is a...

More clarity around the reasons cancer medicines are rejected by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) would better inform discussions...
lung-cancer

A new prognosis for lung cancer: Major advances in diagnostics and therapeutics

Historically, lung cancer is a disease with limited treatment options, late-diagnosis, and a limited spectrum of chemotherapies that have toxic side effects and a poor response rate, but there have been several exciting developments in recent years. In this latest...

Historically, lung cancer is a disease with limited treatment options, late-diagnosis, and a limited spectrum of chemotherapies that have toxic...
lung-cancer

Desperate cancer patients prepared to pay for immunotherapy treatment

Cancer patients desperate to buy themselves more time are spending thousands of dollars to self-fund immunotherapy treatment even though there is little evidence to show it is likely to have a major benefit. A retrospective review describing outcomes and toxicity of...

Cancer patients desperate to buy themselves more time are spending thousands of dollars to self-fund immunotherapy treatment even though there...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer stigma is costing lives

Stigma associated with lung cancer as a ‘smokers’ disease’ is costing lives through inadequate detection of early disease, deficiencies in care and lack of research, according to the Lung Foundation Australia. Launching a ‘call to action’ to improve lung cancer outcomes,...

Stigma associated with lung cancer as a ‘smokers’ disease’ is costing lives through inadequate detection of early disease, deficiencies in...
lung-cancer

GPs unlikely to pick up certain cancers right away because it’s not the most likely diagnosis

Diagnosing cancer early is important for improving the chances of long-term survival from the disease. Perceived delays in cancer diagnosis are a common cause of distress for patients and their families – and a frequent source of legal complaints. Most patients...

Diagnosing cancer early is important for improving the chances of long-term survival from the disease. Perceived delays in cancer diagnosis...
lung-cancer

Better end-of-life communication needed in advanced cancer

Improving doctor-patient communication in patients with advanced cancer could reduce overly aggressive treatment near the end of life, experts say. Writing in this week's JAMA Oncology Dr Jeffrey D. Robinson from the Portland State University, Portland, Oregon and colleagues...

Improving doctor-patient communication in patients with advanced cancer could reduce overly aggressive treatment near the end of life, experts say. ...
lung-cancer

Low-dose CT acceptable for monitoring asbestos related disease

Ultra-low dose CT appears to effectively describe asbestos-related pleural and parenchymal changes and diseases, Australian researchers have concluded. However the findings do not yet support the screening of all people who have been exposed to asbestos, said the authors led by...

Ultra-low dose CT appears to effectively describe asbestos-related pleural and parenchymal changes and diseases, Australian researchers have concluded. However the findings...
lung-cancer

450,000 Australians may benefit from lung cancer screening

Some 450,000 Australians may be eligible for lung cancer screening – but researchers say there is a long way to go before a national screening program becomes a reality. In a study published in this week’s Medical Journal of Australia,...

Some 450,000 Australians may be eligible for lung cancer screening – but researchers say there is a long way to...
lung-cancer

Vigilance needed as asbestos related disease patterns change

The changing patterns of asbestos-related diseases mean clinicians must be vigilant about taking exposure histories from their patients, experts advise. Writing in an editorial published in this week’s MJA Professor Bill Musk a respiratory physician from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital...

The changing patterns of asbestos-related diseases mean clinicians must be vigilant about taking exposure histories from their patients, experts advise. Writing...
lung-cancer

Australia lags behind in lung cancer screening

The implementation of a targeted lung cancer screening program in Australia is being hampered by a lack of “vital information,” experts say in this week’s MJA. Writing in an editorial titled Lung cancer screening in Australia: Progress or procrastination? Dr...

The implementation of a targeted lung cancer screening program in Australia is being hampered by a lack of “vital information,”...
lung-cancer

So many cancer “breakthroughs”

The use of superlatives to describe cancer drugs in news articles as "breakthrough," "revolutionary," "miracle" is common even when drugs have not shown survival benefits or been approved, a study shows. Haematologist-oncologist Dr Vinay Prasad from the Oregon Health &...

The use of superlatives to describe cancer drugs in news articles as "breakthrough," "revolutionary," "miracle" is common even when drugs...
lung-cancer

Govt says no to lung cancer screening program

An Australian lung cancer screening program has been rejected by the Government because of unresolved issues and questions around cost. In a position statement the Standing Committee on Screening said there was some evidence to support annual screening for people...

An Australian lung cancer screening program has been rejected by the Government because of unresolved issues and questions around cost. In...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer number one cause of death in older women

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in women aged 65-74, the latest data on deaths in Australia shows. The statistics from the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare ranked COPD as the fourth cause of death for women in the...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in women aged 65-74, the latest data on deaths in Australia shows. The...
lung-cancer

Champix not linked to suicidal behaviour: study

Concerns that the tobacco quitting drug varenicline (Champix) is associated with an increased risk of suicidality and accidents have not been supported by a large observational study. Researchers from Sweden and Oxford in the...

Concerns that the tobacco quitting drug varenicline (Champix) is associated with an increased risk of suicidality and accidents...
lung-cancer

Statins reduce lung cancer death

Patients with lung cancer have a lower risk of death if they are taking statins, findings from an observational study suggest. The study of 14 689 patients with lung cancer who had more than 12 prescriptions...

Patients with lung cancer have a lower risk of death if they are taking statins, findings from an observational...
lung-cancer

Clinical controversies addressed in oxygen guidelines

Updated guidelines on the use of oxygen in the home address clinical controversies such as oxygen prescription to smokers, provision of oxygen on discharge from hospital, and the use of palliative oxygen. Published in Thorax this week the guidelines from...

Updated guidelines on the use of oxygen in the home address clinical controversies such as oxygen prescription to smokers, provision...
lung-cancer

Asbestos time bomb in Asia

Asia is on track for a tsunami of asbestos diseases, warns a team of respiratory and asbestosis experts. In an invited review in Respirology the team which included Bruce Robinson from the National...

Asia is on track for a tsunami of asbestos diseases, warns a team of respiratory...
lung-cancer

Respiratory physicians at the centre of lung cancer teams

Respiratory physicians play a pivotal role in lung cancer multidisciplinary teams, say Australian and UK clinicians, although there's no evidence to prove it. Writing in an invited review series on lung cancer practice, implementing evidence around the world,...

Respiratory physicians play a pivotal role in lung cancer multidisciplinary teams, say Australian and UK clinicians, although there's no...
lung-cancer

Strong evidence biofuel causes lung cancer

Exposure to biofuel doubles the risk of lung cancer in women, finds a systematic review that provided risk estimates for the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study. The analysis...

Exposure to biofuel doubles the risk of lung cancer in women, finds a ...
lung-cancer

Happy 50th anniversary to cisplatin

This year marks the 50th anniversary of cisplatin’s accidental discovery as an anti-cancer drug. Despite its horrible side effects, and the ability of cancers to become resistant to it, the drug remains as relevant now as it was...

This year marks the 50th anniversary of cisplatin’s accidental discovery as an anti-cancer drug. Despite its horrible side...
lung-cancer

Smoking: new Australian data to die (or live) for

A new study of deaths from all causes in New South Wales published today in BMC Medicine reports both some very bad and very good news about smoking. Up until now, Australian estimates of the death and disease risks of smoking...

A new study of deaths from all causes in New South Wales published today in BMC Medicine reports both some...
lung-cancer

Metastatic NSCLC an ideal benchmark for end-of-life-care

People with metastatic NSCLC have a poor prognosis, making the disease an ideal benchmark to measure the quality of end-of-life care, palliative care experts say. The overview of care for over 6,000 patients with metastatic NSCLC in Victoria found that...

People with metastatic NSCLC have a poor prognosis, making the disease an ideal benchmark to measure the quality of end-of-life...
lung-cancer

Lung cancer trials shouldn’t exclude cancer survivors

Excluding patients with a prior cancer diagnosis from lung cancer clinical trials may not be justified, researcher say.  For patients with advanced lung cancer, previous cancer did not adversely affect survival, regardless of the type, stage, or...

Excluding patients with a prior cancer diagnosis from lung cancer clinical trials may not be justified, researcher say.  ...