Section 1.3: Lung cancer |
Specific recommendations 1.3.2. An urgent referral for a chest X-ray should be made when a patient presents with:
haemoptysis, or any of the following unexplained persistent, that is, lasting >3 weeks, symptoms and signs: chest and/or shoulder pain, dyspnoea, weight loss, chest signs, hoarseness, finger clubbing, cervical and/or supraclavicular lymphadenopathy, cough with or without any of the above, features suggestive of metastasis from a lung cancer, for example, in brain, bone, liver, or skin.
1.3.3. An urgent referral should be made for either of the following:
1.3.4. Immediate referral should be considered for the following:
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Referral timelines The referral timelines used in this guideline are as follows:
Immediate: an acute admission or referral occurring within a few hours, or even more quickly if necessary. Urgent: the patient is seen within the national target for urgent referrals (currently 2 weeks).
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