Cross-sectorial Rehabilitation of Patients with Lung Cancer

Four thousand seven hundred patients are diagnosed with lung cancer in Denmark every year. Even though cigarette smoking has declined for decades a decline in lung cancer incidence is still at least a decade away. Only 16% of these patients with lung cancer started in a municipal rehabilitation program.

Aim: To investigate if the intervention "early contact conference" can facilitate acceptance of and participation in municipal rehabilitation in patients with lung cancer. Further, to investigate whether the rehabilitation improve the patients' physical ability and quality of life.

Thirteen municipalities from Region Hovedstaden have agreed to participate in this cluster randomized controlled trial. The intervention will focus on creating early contact between the Department of Oncology and the municipalities. The conference call will be planned when the patient is at the hospital for the second systemic treatment and a written status will be sent to the GP after the conference video call so that hospital, municipality, and GP will all have the newest knowledge about the patient's general condition

The intervention will be easy to implement in clinical practice afterwards if it is a success and the cost of the intervention is low.