Investigating Symptoms of Lung Cancer: What’s the evidence?

Did you know that someone with lung cancer may present to their GP as many as four or more times before a diagnosis is made? While some symptoms of lung cancer may be easy to spot, others can be non-specific and therefore challenging to differentiate from other conditions. In patients with few or no risk factors, the challenge can be even greater, resulting in diagnostic delays, more advanced stage cancer and poorer outcomes.

In this one hour live event, our panel of clinical experts will discuss the latest evidence and clinical recommendations outlined in Investigating symptoms of lung cancer: a guide for all health professionals. The role of primary care health professionals as active initiators of the lung cancer diagnostic pathway and supporting patients throughout their journey will also be discussed.

Event attendees will receive early access to an accredited, scenario-based eLearning package entitled A Systematic Approach to Investigating Symptoms of Lung Cancer, developed by Lung Foundation Australia in partnership with Cancer Australia.

Speakers:

Professor David Barnes

Respiratory and Sleep Physician
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia Clinical Professor, University of Sydney

David is a Respiratory and Sleep Physician at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney and Clinical Professor, University of Sydney. He is past Chairman of the Professional Standards Subcommittee of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, with a longstanding interest in both the professional and training standards within the specialty. With respect to the latter he was for some years the Coordinator of Advanced Training in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

David reviews manuscripts for a number of journals including Chest, Respirology, Thorax, Sleep, and Internal Medicine Journal. He has been appointed to the Editorial Boards of Chest, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Sleep, and Respirology, as well as other journals. His main clinical and research interests are in respiratory infections, lung cancer and sleep disordered breathing, with over 80 publications in peer reviewed journals in these and other areas.

David has been a member of multiple clinical advisory committees for Cancer Australia, providing advice and guidance regarding lung cancer. This includes membership to the original Expert Advisory Panel responsible for developing “Investigating Symptoms in Lung Cancer: A Guide for General Practitioners,” and co-chairmanship of the subsequent Expert Reference Panel responsible for its evidence review and relaunch as “Investigating Symptoms in Lung Cancer: A Guide for all Health Professionals” in 2020.

Professor Shalini Vinod

Senior Radiation Oncologist
Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre

Professor Shalini Vinod is a senior radiation oncologist at the Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre, Sydney Australia. Her clinical interests are in lung and breast cancers. She leads the Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Team at Liverpool & Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres and has published widely on the importance of multidisciplinary care in lung cancer. She is a member of several national committees involved in writing guidelines, conducting research and informing policy in lung cancer.

Professor Vinod is an active clinician researcher with several areas of interest. This includes health services based research focussing on variation in practice and in the use of routine clinical data to generate predictive models to use in decision support for radiotherapy in lung cancer. She is involved in research studying the incorporation of MRI imaging for radiotherapy planning and the implementation of a MRI linac to improve the radiotherapy treatment of lung and other cancers.

Dr Kerry Hancock – Facilitator

Chair, RACGP Respiratory Medicine Specific Interest Network
Chair, Primary Care Advisory Committee, Lung Foundation Australia

Dr Kerry Hancock is a general practitioner in a group practice in outer metropolitan Adelaide and has more than 30 years experience in clinical practice. She has a special interest in general practice-based respiratory medicine and has strong affiliations with Asthma Australia (SA Branch), Lung Foundation Australia, National Asthma Council of Australia and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group. Dr Hancock’s active participation with these organisations has enabled her to be involved in the development of national primary care focused respiratory management guidelines, educational activities and the development of tools to assist GPs in the management of their patients with asthma and COPD. She is currently Chair RACGP Respiratory Medicine Specific Interest Network and GP Editor Respiratory Medicine Today.

Renae Grundy

Clinical Nurse Consultant
Royal Hobart Hospital, TAS

Renae Grundy is a clinical nurse consultant for lung cancer at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Her passion for caring for people with lung cancer first came to the forefront when she worked as a lung cancer specialist nurse in the UK 15 years ago. Since returning to Tasmania, she has continued to work in this area. Renae is currently undertaking her Professional Doctorate, working with patients with lung cancer fulfilling the role of co-researcher with the goal of improving the lung cancer journey.

Professor Kwun Fong

Thoracic and Sleep Physician
The Prince Charles Hospital Professor, University of Queensland School of Medicine

Professor Kwun Fong is a Thoracic and Sleep Physician at The Prince Charles Hospital and Professor with the University of Queensland School of Medicine. He is Clinical Manager of the Pulmonary Malignancy Unit at TPCH and Director of the UQ Thoracic Research Centre which undertakes molecular, genomic and translational research in lung diseases.

Mrs Alison Bolton

Representing the lived experience of lung cancer

Alison is a Brisbane mother of four young boys and a nurse by background. After several months of treatment from her GP in 2017, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. The diagnosis came as a shock to Alison and all who knew her as a fit, healthy woman who had always taken good care of herself. Alison is a passionate advocate for people impacted by lung cancer, and has since fought for more funding in lung cancer research to improve survival rates and treatment for this devastating condition.