Skip to main content

Alternative Explanation Conditions Often Delay Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 11, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11, 2024 -- Conditions offering alternative explanations for lung cancer symptoms are associated with increased diagnostic intervals, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in the British Journal of Cancer.

Imogen Rogers, from Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the diagnostic interval from time of first presentation in primary care with a relevant sign/symptom to diagnosis date for 11,870 people with lung cancer diagnoses and associations between the diagnostic interval and 10 “competing demand” comorbidities and four “alternative explanation” conditions. The "competing demand" comorbidities included coronary heart disease, depression/anxiety, heart failure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, dementia, serious mental illness, epilepsy, and diabetes. The "alternative explanation" conditions were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and receiving a prescription for an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.

The researchers found that the diagnostic interval was longer for patients with “alternative explanation” conditions, by 31 and 74 days in patients with one and two or more conditions, respectively, compared with those with none. In an adjusted analysis, the number of “competing demand” conditions did not remain significantly associated with the diagnostic interval.

"This research underscores the need for heightened vigilance in patients with chronic respiratory conditions," Rogers said in a statement. "Recognizing that these conditions can mask the symptoms of lung cancer is crucial in ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Methotrexate Noninferior to Prednisone in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- For patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, methotrexate is noninferior to prednisone with regard to the change from baseline to week 24 in the percentage of...

Use of Composite Allocation Score for Lung Transplant Wait List Improves Outcomes

MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Wait-list outcomes for lung transplants have substantially improved in the composite allocation score (CAS) era, according to a study presented at the...

Exposure to Smoke Pollution Ups Risk for Hospitalization for Respiratory Disease

FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 -- For older adults in the Western United States, exposure to high levels of smoke pollution is associated with an increase in hospitalizations for respiratory...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.