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Hospital offers test to speed up cancer diagnosis

Federica BedendoNorth East and Cumbria
News imageNCIC Two medical professionals, a man and a woman, in blue scrubs giving the thumbs up to the camera. The selfie is taken in an office environment, with desks and computers in the background. The man wears glasses and has a beard. His hair is covered by a pink bandana-style head covering. The woman has dark brown hair in a bob and is also wearing glasses.NCIC
The first medical thoracoscopy patient has had the procedure at the Cumberland Infirmary this month

A procedure that can help spot lung cancer early is now available at a hospital, saving patients long trips out of a county.

The first patient underwent a thoracoscopy at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle this month, which can both be used to diagnose certain lung conditions as well to treat others.

Previously, patients in North Cumbria had to travel to Newcastle for the procedure.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC), which runs the Carlisle hospital, said this would reduce waiting times to confirm a diagnosis.

Maria Parsonage, a respiratory consultant nurse and pleural disease specialist, said thoracoscopies provide "direct visual inspection of the lining of the lung", meaning a targeted biopsy can be taken.

She said: "The first procedure that took place meant the patient was diagnosed within 48 hours with a particularly aggressive type of lung cancer, where the timing of the treatment is crucial."

The trust said it aimed to carry out four of these procedures a month at the infirmary's endoscopy unit.

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