Once you have been referred via the referral routes you will meet with the Respiratory Consultant and one of the Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists. This consultation takes place in the Outpatient department in the Victoria Hospital, you will be asked to go for a breathing test (Spirometry) and blood tests, prior or after the consultation depending on your appointment time. This appointment usually lasts around 45 minutes.
The consultation will comprise of a discussion about you, this is required to gather accurate information around your lifestyle, past medical history, fitness levels, your current symptoms and medications. This provides the team vital information when discussing investigations and treatment personalised to you. The consultant will show you the CT Scan, and what is presented, and what this means for you. At this meeting, all further investigations will be decided (see Investigations Section). You may need one investigation or you may need a few.
You will be given your appointment for a bronchoscopy or EBUS on the day.
You will have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about what the scan has provided, and what this means for you.
After the consultation, you will have a face to face alone with your Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist to go over the consultation points, as we know that being potentially diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming and stressful, and you will need time to absorb the information you have been provided with.
Your nurse specialist will give you an explanation of the further investigations that require to be carried out, alongside signposting to further support, commencing prehabilitation and providing information leaflets on the investigations individual to your case. Your nurse specialist will give you an indication of how long these investigations take to be carried out and when we plan to discuss with you all these results.
Your nurse specialist may provide you with prescribed medication to help alleviate some of the symptoms you are experiencing.
You will be given the contact details of the Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist, as you may wish to call them shortly after the consultation, to have more clarity on the potential diagnosis, ask more questions as they arise over time, and you discuss your potential diagnosis with family and friends. It is also worth remembering to ask the BRAN questions at this appointment
What are the Benefits?
What are the Risks?
What are the Alternatives?
What if I do Nothing?