More than 5,000 people in England have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier since the roll out of the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme.
Data also shows that more than three-quarters (76%) of the lung cancers identified by the programme were found at the earliest stages of one and two, when it is potentially curable. People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stages are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late.
Using a mix of hospital services and roving scanning trucks that visit convenient community sites, such as supermarket carparks, sports stadiums and town centres, in-depth lung health checks are carried out on current and past smokers.
NHS data also shows that more than a third of people diagnosed with lung cancer from the most deprived areas of England were diagnosed at an earlier stage since the targeted lung health checks initiative began.
Dame Cally Palmer, NHS Cancer Director, said: “These lung checks can save lives, so it’s fantastic that the NHS has been able to diagnose thousands of people at an early stage when lung cancer is potentially curable.
“The targeted lung health check programme is a new model of care with a community focus, making it easier for people to come forward in a way that works for them, whether in a supermarket car park or a sports stadium. It has been amazing to see the response, and initiatives like this will make a big difference in improving cancer survival for people throughout the country.”
NHS data shows there was a 7.4% improvement in lung cancer early diagnosis rates by the NHS last year (April 2023 to March 2024) compared to the period before COVID-19 (March 2019 to February 2020).
Lung cancer is the third commonest type of cancer in the UK, with 72% of cases caused by smoking, leading to around 35,000 deaths each year. Among the symptoms of lung cancer are a long-standing cough that gets worse, coughing up blood, persistent breathlessness, continuing tiredness or lack of energy, and an unexplained loss of weight or appetite.
Under the programme, current and past smokers aged between 55 and 74 are invited to speak with a nurse or other healthcare professional about their lung health and, if they have a higher chance of developing cancer, are offered a Computerised Tomography (CT) scan of their lungs on a mobile scanning unit.
The UK National Screening Committee and Government announced the Targeted Lung health Check Programme should be fully rolled out across the country by 2030.
