More than 700 people in Greater Manchester – have been diagnosed with lung cancer earlier thanks to an innovative NHS initiative, which uses mobile scanning trucks to visit local communities.
The NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme is the biggest initiative in NHS history aimed at improving early lung cancer diagnosis, and is specifically targeted at areas of the country with the highest rates of lung cancer.
The latest NHS data shows that 5,037 lung cancers have now been found in England through the programme since its launch in 2019. This includes over 700 lung cancer cancers found in Greater Manchester.
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.
In Greater Manchester the programme – is jointly organised by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. It sees people who are current or former smokers aged 55 to 74 offered a quick, free lung health check on board a mobile clinic which is usually parked at a convenient community location such as a supermarket car park. People are contacted for an appointment by invitation.
The programme has already seen patients from over 200 GP practices across Greater Manchester invited for a lung health check. Eligible patients (smokers and former smokers aged 55-74) will be sent an invite when the programme comes to their area. They will be rolled out to even more areas in the coming months and years to ensure that all eligible participants across Greater Manchester are invited.
Dr Haval Balata, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Wythenshawe Hospital and Responsible Clinician for the Greater Manchester Targeted Lung Health Check Programme said: “In Greater Manchester we have now detected over 700 cases of lung cancer using the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check – the majority at the earliest stage when the cancer is at its most treatable.
“The NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme is revolutionising how we detect lung cancer in Greater Manchester and saving lives.
“Our mobile units ensure we take the checks out into our communities – starting with those that have higher smoking rates – so we can directly check those at most risk.
“We’ll be continuing to roll the service out across Greater Manchester over the next few years.”
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.
One person who has benefited from an earlier cancer diagnosis thanks to the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme is Phil Bennett, from Droylsden. When ex-smoker Phil, aged 67, first received his NHS invitation for a Lung Health Check by letter in December 2021 he was busy with work and initially ignored the invite because he felt OK. But later due to some delays at work, Phil was left with a bit of free time, so he decided to re-book and attended the mobile clinic when it was based at Asda in Ashton-under-Lyme.
The check Phil discovered he needed a further investigation at hospital and he was shocked to discover he had lung cancer.
Luckily Phil’s lung cancer was caught at an early stage, stage one, and he had successful surgery to remove it at Wythenshawe Hospital in 2022. He did not require any further treatment like chemotherapy. Three months later he was given the all-clear.
Phil said: “I’m lucky I decided to re-book and go for my Lung Health Check. I’d strongly advise anyone to go to for a Lung Health Check when they get the letter. It could potentially save your life. It did for me.”
NHS leaders want everyone who receives an invite for a lung health check to attend, regardless of whether they think they are in good health or not.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “It is fantastic to see that more lives continue to be saved through the Targeted Lung Health Checks and we urge everyone who is invited to take up the opportunity.
“As David’s experience shows, you can be fit, healthy and have no symptoms but still have lung cancer, so it is so important to have the check. It could save your life.”
Lung cancer does not usually cause noticeable symptoms until it’s spread through the lungs or into other parts of the body.
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Lung cancer continues to cause more deaths in the UK than any other cancer. Early diagnosis saves lives, which is why lung screening for people at high risk of the disease is so important.
“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. It’s essential that people can access help to quit smoking both during and after the programme.”
If anyone has symptoms of lung cancer, they should visit their GP straight away and not wait for a lung health check.