Research into living with lung cancer
People with lung cancer have to cope with the emotional, psychological, and physical effects of the cancer. So, research into living with cancer can make a real difference to them.
Researchers are trying to find ways of dealing with all these effects to improve people’s quality of life.
Go to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trials database if you are looking for a trial for lung cancer in the UK. You need to talk to your specialist if there are any trials that you think you might be able to take part in.
Research and clinical trials
All cancer treatments must be fully researched before they can be used for everyone. This is so we can be sure that:
- they work
- they work better than the treatments already available
- they are safe
Lung cancer’s impact on Quality of Life (PIONEER)
This study focuses on stage 3, N2 non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This means the cancer has spread just outside the lung to the
. There are two main treatments available in the UK for this type of lung cancer:
- surgery followed by
chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy - radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy
People live for a similar length of time with either treatment option. So it is difficult for them and health professionals to know which treatment to choose.
The researchers feel it is important to understand how:
- the treatment affects people with cancer in their daily lives
- different types of cancer treatment affect people with cancer and their family carers
The information collected will help people with cancer and their carers decide the best treatment option for them in future.
A personalised nutrition and activity programme (CanBenefitII)
People with lung cancer tend to be older and frailer than those with other cancers. So they may have poorer . They are also less able to cope with treatments for their cancer, such as chemotherapy. Research shows that nutrition and physical activity support help people with cancer. Unfortunately, many older people are not included in these studies.
In this study, the researchers want to develop and test a nutrition and activity programme for older people with lung cancer. They want to personalise it for each patient. This can help them to have the best possible quality of life from the moment they start a new type of cancer treatment.
The researchers will also:
- test the developed programme in a small study, also called a
pilot study - see if it is possible and acceptable to patients, families, and staff to take part and deliver it
- see if it helps patients have and cope with cancer treatments and improve their quality of life
Monitoring recovery and cancer experience (EMBRaCE-GM)
In this study, the researchers want to find out more about the range of wearable vital signs monitors. A wearable vital sign monitor is like a watch. You usually wear it around your arm. It can measure your:
- heart rate
- temperature
- amount of oxygen in your blood, also called blood oxygen saturation
They want to find out if it could be used to support patients during cancer treatment.
The researchers also want to know:
- if it is possible to check vital signs during cancer treatment continuously
- if it is acceptable for patients having cancer treatment
- what else can they learn from the information gathered
Pain
Open lung surgery to remove a lung through the side of the chest is called a thoracotomy. Your surgeon makes a cut that runs around the side of the chest. It is one of the types of surgery you might have if you have lung cancer. As part of your anaesthetic, you also have pain relief. But some people have pain that lasts for months or years after surgery.
Currently, there are 2 usual ways of giving pain control during surgery to help with long term pain. These include:
- a nerve block to one side of the chest (this is a paravertebral blockade)
- a nerve block to both sides of the chest (an epidural blockade)
There is some evidence that a nerve block to one side of the chest works best. But doctors don’t know for sure. So, they want to find out more.
People with lung cancer’s experience of healthcare
In this study, researchers looked at the experience of people with cancer. They used the English Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) for this. CPES is a way of checking the progress of national cancer care.
The time and personal views of people with lung cancer helped to find out whether people’s expectations of care were met.
Some of the things the researchers found in this study were that people needed more information and support from their healthcare team if:
- they had stage 1 lung cancer
- were under 65
- were from a better socio economic area
The researchers also found that females from minority backgrounds felt that their experiences of lung cancer care did not meet their expectations.
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