Hi there, I'm looking for anyone with knowledge of how the lung cancer pathway works in the UK.
My mum had a chest x-ray 3 weeks ago. She was called back to the GP this week and told there's a denser area bottom of one lung and these things can be, amongst other things, cancer. She had an awful chest infection that we all had at the time of the x-ray. It was the second infection, we all had 2. She started to wheeze and be uncomfortable breathing after the second virus hit, but it's taken a long while to go away (but did for all of us, just her's is longer) and she's blowing her nose constantly and getting fed up with it.
She was told at the x-ray that it would take 2 weeks to get results. But it's been 3 and so she assumed the x-ray was clear when she didn't hear anything.
Is anyone able to tell me what the lung cancer pathway is because I thought if they were concerned about any x-ray they would contact within 24 - 48 hours and then a CT is ordered within 3 days? But we've been told within the next 2 weeks she'll get an appointment to see the chest specialist.
Another thing the GP said she may not need a CT scan when I told mum that would be the next step. I thought a CT scan was the next step following a shadow on the lung.
Confused, can anyone help me understand the pathway and how it works. In the next county to me they call within a day or two for a shadow on the x-ray and then do a CT scan within 3 days. I thought that was the protocol. Thanks
