Common lung cancers ‘increasingly being treated via surgery’

New figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have shown that an increasing number of lung cancer patients are receiving surgical treatment for their illness.

Data from the National Lung Cancer Audit reveals that more than one in five patients with common lung cancers underwent surgery in 2012, compared to one in seven in 2008.

Just over half of the 40,200 lung cancer patients in England and Wales were confirmed as having non-small cell lung cancer, with 22 percent having surgery as part of their treatment, compared to 14 percent in 2008.

The audit also showed that the median average time that lung cancer patients survive from the date that they are first seen in secondary care has increased to 221 days, up by 16 percent on the 191 day figure recorded in 2008.

Dr Mick Peake, audit clinical lead and clinical lead for the National Cancer Intelligence Network, said: "The rise in the proportions of patients undergoing surgery means that lives are being saved and longer survival times are giving patients more precious time with family and friends."

More than 41,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK, making it one of the most common and serious forms of cancer.