Hundreds of people diagnosed with cancer early through life-saving NHS lung checks
Hundreds of people have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier through NHS mobile trucks, as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history.
Thanks to NHS teams who are making it even easier for people to get a Lung MOT in travelling trucks visiting different areas across the country, 600 people have been diagnosed earlier.
The community initiative, part of the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme, has seen more than three quarters (77%) of cancers caught at either stage one or two, giving patients a much better chance of beating the illness. This compares to less than a third of cancers caught at either stage one or two in 2018.
People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late.
Mobile trucks are scanning those most at risk from lung cancer, including current and ex-smokers, inviting them for an MOT of their lungs and an on the spot chest scan for those at highest risk.
Today (19th April 2022), NHS cancer chiefs are urging those most at risk of lung cancer to come forward as soon as they are invited for a life-saving health check, to help even more people benefit from early diagnosis.
The call comes as new figures show only a third (35%) of patients go to their lung health check when invited by the NHS.
A further 20 NHS lung truck sites are due to go live shortly with the capacity to invite 750,000 more people at increased risk for a check, in efforts to catch thousands more cancers at an earlier stage.
So far, the 23 existing truck sites have issued up to 25,000 invitations every month.
As set out in the NHS elective recovery plan earlier this year, the NHS will increase capacity to deliver around 17 million diagnostic tests over a three-year period.
Rolled out as part of the NHS Long Term plan, NHS lung trucks visit convenient community sites including supermarket carparks, sports and shopping centres, and carry out targeted lung health checks in areas of the country that have some of the highest death rates from lung cancer as part of a major drive to catch more cancers earlier and save lives.
Not only do the lung trucks scan for cancer, but they’ve also identified thousands of people with other undiagnosed conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, enabling them to access the treatment they need earlier, and helping to prevent potential hospitalisations.
The elective recovery plan set out a blueprint to address backlogs built up during the pandemic, as well as tackling long waits for care.
Overall, as many as 1.5 million people will have been invited for a lung health check across the country by 2024/25 with an estimated 7,700 cases caught earlier under NHS Long Term Plan.
Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and when more people are referred for tests, which is why the NHS has put so much effort into early diagnosis in recent years.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director for cancer said: “Lung cancer can often be hard to detect at an early stage and so these checks, close to people’s homes, show how the NHS is taking action to find more people with cancer.
“Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and when more people are referred for tests, which is why the NHS has put so much effort into early diagnosis in recent years.
“We know that some people had concerns seeking help during the pandemic but if you do have a worrying symptom or have been coughing for three weeks or more, please do contact your GP and get checked out”.
Current and ex-smokers aged between 55 and 74 are invited to speak to a healthcare professional and, if they have a higher chance of developing lung cancer, are offered a scan of their lungs.
Trucks move around each community to reach the most at-risk, with advice to help people stop smoking also being provided to those who attend.
Smoking causes more than seven in ten lung cancer cases in the UK. Previous trials have shown that CT screening reduced lung cancer mortality by 26% in men and between 39% and 61% in women.
If anyone has symptoms of lung cancer, they should visit their GP straight away and not wait for a lung health check.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I am committed to radically improve outcomes for cancer patients across the UK and our 10-Year Cancer Plan will set out how we will lead the world in cancer care.
“We are also supporting the NHS to tackle the backlog with innovations such as community diagnostic centres which are delivering millions more tests, reducing pressure on other services and allowing people to be seen more quickly.
“This community scheme is exactly what we need to ensure hundreds of people get an earlier diagnosis, allowing them to get the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
