When I first began lung most cancers nursing in 2012, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) had been comparatively new remedies on this nation. We would offer the affected person with a pack designed to assist handle the predictable side-effects of the pill. This included lotions and lotions for the irritating rash and Imodium for the anticipated diarrhoea.

“Lung cancer nursing is evolving to meet patients’ changing needs, with nurses acquiring new skills and knowledge to reflect the rapidly diversifying treatments now on offer”

Now, the checklist of focused therapies is seemingly countless, as are the markers seemed for on every sufferers’ biopsy. Samples are despatched to regional genomics laboratories for subsequent technology sequencing, giving oncologists a full molecular profile of the most cancers; this may open up new avenues of remedy in both first- or second-line settings. Side-effects of those remedies are nicely managed and usually a lot much less extreme than beforehand seen.

Immunotherapy is being efficiently used and, in some instances, sufferers with stage IV illness dwell for years after finishing the preliminary two years of remedy. Immunotherapy works by concentrating on and blocking a receptor on the floor of T cells that are a part of the immune system. In this fashion, it helps the immune system discover and assault the most cancers cells.

Both small cell lung most cancers and mesothelioma are additionally being efficiently handled with immunotherapy together with chemotherapy, giving higher outcomes for these affected person teams. But there’s extra to be finished in treating these rarer types of lung most cancers for which it’s nonetheless tougher to realize long term survival.

While the remedy choices are necessary to survival, we’re additionally working exhausting to make sure sufferers are nicely ready earlier than they embark on a remedy plan by enrolling them onto a prehabilitation programme. This ensures they will dwell nicely with most cancers all through and following their remedy. Prehabilitation programs not solely concentrate on train and smoking cessation, but additionally on vitamin and emotional wellbeing.

There are additionally advances in managing the signs of superior lung most cancers together with indwelling pleural catheters for managing malignant pleural effusions. These empower sufferers to empty the fluid in their very own houses as and when wanted with out attending hospital.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, now we have undoubtedly seen a rise in sufferers presenting with late-stage illness, both as a result of they feared looking for assist in the course of the pandemic or didn’t recognise the indicators or signs of concern. We should proceed to teach folks and lift the profile of lung most cancers, so we will detect the illness earlier and enhance affected person outcomes.

Cancer nursing is consistently evolving and whereas the position of the standard most cancers nurse specialist (CNS) continues to be vitally necessary to sufferers and their family members, there’s additionally a rise in superior scientific practitioners supporting the medical group caring for sufferers dwelling with most cancers. These superior roles align extra intently to a junior physician and mustn’t change the CNS, who is a continuing supply of affected person assist and steering, coordinating care between trusts and specialist centres in an unparalleled approach.

In the present financial local weather, there’s much less attraction for nursing workers to depart the ward and turn out to be a most cancers nurse specialist because the workplace hours nature of most of CNS roles means much less chance of sociable hours funds. This along with the shortage of a transparent profession development for CNS roles results in many nurses to favour the apprentice superior scientific follow scheme, which affords sturdy profession growth.

Cancer nursing affords a novel alternative to assist sufferers’ prehabilitation, remedy, rehabilitation, restoration and dwelling with and past most cancers (Royal College of Nursing, 2022). There is way scope throughout the position to develop specialist abilities and massively enhance the affected person’s journey. It is important we proceed to teach scholar nurses and the nursing workforce on the significance of the most cancers nurse position.  The position is so usually undervalued within the NHS and most cancers nurse groups are sometimes missed when there’s further useful resource obtainable.

Targeted lung well being checks will likely be obtainable throughout the nation by 2029. These will enhance the variety of sufferers recognized with early-stage illness, so lowering the variety of late-stage displays and bettering lung most cancers survival.

So, whereas lung most cancers is the main reason behind most cancers deaths worldwide, additionally it is the main target of analysis and growth on a scale by no means seen earlier than. Lung most cancers nursing is evolving to satisfy sufferers’ altering wants, with nurses buying new abilities and information to mirror the quickly diversifying remedies now on provide.

Rachel Halliday is lung most cancers and pleural specialist nurse on the Countess of Chester Hospital and pleural lead for the Association of Respiratory Nurses

References

Royal College of Nursing (2022) Career Pathway and Education Framework for Cancer Nursing. RCN.

World Health Organization (2023) Lung Cancer, who.int, 26 June (accessed 20 November 2023).