TY - JOUR T1 - Early diagnosis of lung cancer: evaluation of a community-based social marketing intervention JF - Thorax JO - Thorax SP - 412 LP - 417 DO - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200714 VL - 67 IS - 5 AU - Victoria L Athey AU - Rupert J Suckling AU - Angela M Tod AU - Stephen J Walters AU - Trevor K Rogers Y1 - 2012/05/01 UR - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/67/5/412.abstract N2 - Background Poor UK lung cancer survival rates may, in part, be due to late diagnosis.Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of a mixed-method community-based social marketing intervention on lung cancer diagnoses.Methods A public awareness campaign in conjunction with brief intervention training in general practices was piloted in six localities with a high lung cancer incidence. End points were self-reported awareness of lung cancer symptoms; intention to seek healthcare; chest x-ray referral rates in primary care; secular trends in the incidence of lung cancer and stage at diagnosis, compared before and after the intervention.Results 21% (128/600) (95% CI 18% to 25%) of the targeted population recalled something about the campaign. Compared with a responder in the control area, the odds of a responder in the intervention area saying that they would visit their general practitioner and request a chest x-ray for a cough was 1.97 times (95% CI 1.18 to 3.31, p=0.01). Primary care chest x-ray referral rates increased by 20% in the targeted practices in the year following the intervention compared with a 2% fall in the control practices. The difference was highly significant, with an incidence rate ratio of 1.22 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.33, p=0.001). There was a 27% increase in lung cancer diagnoses in the intervention area compared with a fall in the control area. The incidence rate ratio was 1.42 (95% CI 0.83 to 2.44 p=0.199).Conclusion This is encouraging early evidence that an awareness and early recognition initiative may facilitate lung cancer diagnosis. ER -