In an effort to identify lung cancer at an earlier stage, more than 19,000 people in North East Lincolnshire are being invited for a free NHS Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC).
Medical charity, Cobalt Health, is delivering lung health checks and ultra-low dose CT scans to detect lung cancer earlier, when treatment is significantly more effective, with the SOMATOM go. from Siemens Healthineers. The mobile CT unit is conveniently located in the community, removing barriers for patients who may not be willing or able to access care in a hospital. North East Lincolnshire has identified respiratory diseases and cancers as significantly contributing to reduced life expectancy in deprived areas.1
Together with the NHS and the local Cancer Alliance, Cobalt Health is promoting early diagnosis and improved outcomes. The TLHC programme targets those most at risk of developing lung cancer in areas with the highest rates of mortality from the disease. Eligible patients across North East Lincolnshire are invited for a virtual lung health check and if deemed high risk, a low-dose, community-based CT scan.
Early detection of lung cancer is difficult as patients rarely show symptoms in initial stages. However, more than 75% of cancers caught with the TLHC programme are in either stage I or stage II when treatment could be simpler and more successful than at an advanced stage.2 The mobile CT unit in North East Lincolnshire is expected to support earlier detection, offering 50-60 scans daily and rotating around the community, providing access to lung screening outside of a hospital setting.
The SOMATOM go. CT from Siemens Healthineers is equipped with Tin Filter technology which allows for ultra-low dose imaging of the lungs. Mobile workflows allow the team to stay close to patients and put them at ease. The collaboration between the NHS, the local Cancer Alliance, Cobalt Health, and Siemens Healthineers, brings ultra-low dose CT scans to patients ensuring improved access to screening services.
“We are proud to support ten Targeted Lung Health Check programmes working in partnership with the NHS and Siemens Healthineers and are delighted to be extending this into North East Lincolnshire,” states Peter Sharpe, Chief Executive Officer of Cobalt Health. “The Lung Health Check programme saves lives by offering access to scans in convenient areas such as the Tesco superstore in Immingham.”
“Facilitating CT scans outside of the hospital setting removes barriers for patients who are hesitant to participate in a screening programme,” states Carl Smith, Computed Tomography Business Manager at Siemens Healthineers. “The power of partnership is clear to see here, as we seek not only to improve patient outcomes through the earlier detection of lung cancer, but also to reduce the healthcare gap between the UK’s most and least deprived communities.”
To find out more about CT systems from Siemens Healthineers, visit: https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-uk/computed-tomography
References
1 North East Lincolnshire Council. Director of Public Health Annual Report 2020: Health Inequalities in North East Lincolnshire (2020). Available from: https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/assets/uploads/2021/03/Director-of-Public-Health-Annual-Report-2020.pdf
2 NHS England. Hundreds of people diagnosed with cancer early through life-saving NHS lung checks (2022) Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2022/04/hundreds-of-people-diagnosed-with-cancer-early-through-life-saving-nhs-lung-checks/
