The first symptoms of lung cancer are often diffuse. Headache, fatigue, cough. A long time can go before the symptoms are linked to cancer, which makes the disease more difficult to treat.
To reach the vision zero, we need to find solutions that pick up on the symptoms faster. Everything from new screening methods to developed AI registers.
It is also important to get the population to understand for themselves which symptoms are important to seek care for. The individual gets more responsibility. This means that we need to spread knowledge and have a system to identify them in primary care.
Vision Zero Cancer contributes to actions with goals to detect and diagnose cancer early
The earlier that lung cancer is detected, the greater are the chances of survival. A national screening programme has been brought to attention, but much needs to be resolved before we are there. Around 70 participants met digitally during a workshop on early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer hosted by Vision Zero cancer.
Cervical cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer are examples of cancers that are often detected early through screening. It saves hundreds of lives every year. Can screening work for lung cancer? The UK has tested. To learn from their projects, results and thoughts, we met in a digital conversation.
To improve the quality and possibility of analysis, standardized templates for reporting in cancer diagnostics should be developed. Vision Zero Cancer functions as a catalyst for the action, by bringing actors together for targeted collaboration and co-financing cost of personnel for preparatory work. The action focuses on pathology for lung cancer.
How can primary care detect lung and colorectal cancer earlier? GP’s and PhD students Elinor Nemlander and Eliya Abedi are on mission to find the answer to this.