Cancer diagnosis in primary care

Cancer is the second leading cause of death across the globe and was responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018.¹ Despite its prevalence, patients are experiencing a significant bottleneck when it comes to diagnostic testing, leading to delays in timely treatment.²

The need to put an end to this bottleneck is unquestionable. Early diagnosis of cancer significantly improves the prognosis of remission and can decrease morbidity and cost of treatment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights three important components of early diagnosis that need to be integrated into patient care:

Primary care nurses are in a prime position to facilitate all three of these areas of patient care. They are also well-placed to evaluate risk of cancer and thus help with earlier diagnosis and reduced cancer burden. Let’s take a closer look at the nurse’s role in early diagnosis, with examples of existing interventions and ideas for practice integration.