title: A survey of lung cancer in rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland: health views that impact on early diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer incidence, mortality and hospitalisation rates are higher for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians and increase again when living in more remote areas. If Indigenous Australians are made more aware of lung cancer through better access to health services and programmes, lung cancer outcomes might improve.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to survey the level of lung cancer awareness in rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and discover perceived barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were conducted in three discrete outer regional and remote Aboriginal communities and one urban setting in Queensland. Participants included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from three target population groups: patients referred for medical treatment with symptoms suspicious of lung cancer or confirmed lung cancer; Indigenous health workers; community members aged 18 years and over. Participants gave written, informed consent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 51 community members and 14 Indigenous health workers, 32 reflected they knew very little about lung cancer, 60 cited smoking as the cause of lung cancer and 54 recognised warning symptoms as a prompt to seek healthcare. Indigenous health workers were not able to describe a healthcare pathway that would apply to a patient with suspected lung cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two main barriers identified as impacting on quality healthcare were communication and follow-up processes. These could be addressed by service improvement activities.
authors.affiliation: Central Integrated Regional Cancer Service, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, The Prince Charles Hospital Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, The Prince Charles Hospital Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, The Prince Charles Hospital Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011793:Queensland / Q000208:ethnology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; culture; health information; health services; lung cancer