A pioneering NHS screening initiative in Greater Manchester is being hailed as a "lifesaver" after new data revealed a dramatic shift in how lung cancer is detected across the region.
Findings published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology show that the targeted programme is successfully catching the disease in its earliest, most treatable stages. Despite screening just 2% of the local population in the pilot area, the initiative identified a staggering 31% of all diagnosed lung cancer cases in the district.
Lung cancer remains the UK’s leading cause of cancer-related mortality, claiming approximately 35,000 lives every year. Because early-stage lung cancer rarely presents symptoms, many patients are only diagnosed when the disease has progressed, significantly lowering survival rates.
The Manchester-based programme has directly addressed this by achieving a 22% reduction in late-stage diagnoses. By finding the cancer before it spreads, clinicians can offer curative treatments that are often not an option for late-stage patients.
Managed jointly by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the scheme utilises mobile NHS units to bring life-saving technology directly into the heart of communities.
- Eligibility: Current or former smokers aged between 55 and 74.
- Invitation: Eligible residents receive an invite via letter or text message.
- Accessibility: Mobile units are stationed in convenient local areas to remove barriers to attendance.
Dr Patrick Goodley, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Wythenshawe Hospital, said:
“The findings of our paper are extremely positive and demonstrate compelling evidence of the real benefit this screening programme has had in Greater Manchester.
“This sort of benefit has previously been shown in clinical trials, but this is the first time we’ve been able to show that a carefully managed public screening service can achieve similar impact.
“Targeted community-based lung cancer screening enables more people to be checked for the disease and is reducing the number of people diagnosed with late stage disease throughout our population. By catching it early, before it spreads, we have a much better chance of curing it.
“We are expanding the programme to cover all of Greater Manchester by the end of Spring 2026, and we’re delighted that this type of screening is now being rolled out across the country though the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme to help more and more people.”
The success of the Greater Manchester model provides a blueprint for how targeted screening can alleviate the burden on the NHS and, more importantly, save families from the heartbreak of a late-stage diagnosis.
Supported by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, the programme is now being rolled out across the wider region, ensuring that more high-risk residents have access to these vital checks.
Image credit: iStock
