The latest data shows that the NHS’s most comprehensive move to improve early lung cancer diagnosis ever is working.
Since the Targeted Lung Health Check Programme was first introduced in 2019, more than 5,000 lung cancers have been detected – the vast majority (76%) of which, at stages one and two.
The initiative targets current and former smokers who are aged 55-74 through a mix of hospital services and scanning trucks that visit a variety of places, including supermarkets, stadiums and town centres.
The government, along with the UK National Screening Committee, has announced that the programme should be launched across the country by 2030.
“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,” said NHS England’s cancer director, Dame Cally Palmer.
“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.”
This is especially true for those from the country’s most deprived areas, with data indicating that, since the programme started five years ago, over a third of the people to get a diagnosis, received it at an earlier stage than previously.
In the period between April 2023 and March 2024, there was a 7.4% improvement in early lung cancer diagnosis rates, according to NHS data – this is compared to March 2019 to February 2020.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO at Cancer Research UK, commented: “Thanks to the dedicated work of NHS staff, today’s figures reveal that the programme in England is already having a huge impact on people’s lives by bringing care into the community and offering stop smoking support.
“Expanding the programme across England will help to catch more cancers, and we hope to see targeted lung screening implemented across the UK so people can benefit from potentially life-saving checks.”
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