Interventions to promote the early detection of cancer in community pharmacies: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

Early detection and diagnosis of cancer is associated with greater treatment success and improved survival. Community pharmacies are often the first point of contact for patients with symptoms that could be due to cancer (e.g. persistent cough, rectal bleeding, dysphagia), and could contribute to earlier cancer detection.

METHODS

This systematic review assessed the evidence for community pharmacy-based interventions to support the early detection of cancer. Five databases (Medline, EMBASE, HMIC, CINAHL, and PSYCINFO) and other supplementary sources were searched for the time period January 2000-February 2025. Standard systematic review methodology following PRISMA guidelines was used. Independent duplicate screening, study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were undertaken.

KEY FINDINGS: In total, 27 studies from 10 countries were included. Several cancer types were represented including colorectal (n = 13), lung (n = 4), skin (n = 4), breast (n = 1), prostate (n = 1), breast and cervical (n = 1), gastric (n = 1), colorectal and prostate (n = 1) and one study included multiple cancer types. The interventions included targeted screening (n = 2), population screening (n = 15), triage (n = 8) and health promotion (n = 2). From the 10 studies that reported cancer diagnosis rates, 3274 individuals had cancerous or precancerous lesions detected: colorectal (n = 2816); prostate (n = 14); and skin (n = 453), with a referral conversion rate ranging between 3.4% and 8.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Harnessing the expertise of community pharmacy personnel is likely to support patients in an earlier and faster diagnosis of cancer. The integration of community pharmacy into early detection pathways is key to maximizing their potential.