Lung Cancer Screening | News and events

New service launches to catch lung cancer early

Thousands of local current and former smokers will soon be invited for a free NHS lung cancer screening, to help catch lung cancer early and save lives.

Starting in Peterborough and Huntingdon, people at higher risk of lung cancer will receive a letter in the coming weeks, inviting them to book a lung cancer screening appointment.

The service offers free lung cancer screenings to people aged 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers. People who are diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stages are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years, than people whose cancer is caught late, so catching lung cancer early will help save lives.

People who book their lung cancer screening will initially be assessed by a nurse during a phone conversation. If they are considered to be at risk of developing lung cancer, they will be offered a follow up scan on a mobile unit. 

Estimates suggest that there are 98,000 people aged 55-74 in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who smoke or have previously smoked. This number is expected to rise to over 110,000 by 2029. As part of the roll-out of the NHS lung cancer screening, everyone eligible for a lung check will be invited by 2029.

Dr Stuti Mukherjee, local GP and Clinical Lead for Cancer and Diagnostics at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said: “Early diagnosis can save lives. If we do find lung cancer at an early stage through the screening programme, we can provide more treatment options and significantly boost your chances of survival.

“I would urge all those who receive the invitation to make an appointment. It will likely provide you with peace of mind, but it could also save your life.”

Dr Robert Buttery, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Royal Papworth Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said: “We know that screening for lung cancer will improve survival from this deadly disease. Unfortunately, we know that at present most lung cancers are identified at a relatively late stage, when a curative treatment such as surgery or intensive radiotherapy is not possible. However, CT screening will now pick up lung cancers at a much earlier stage of the disease and we know from extensive trial data that we should be able to offer curative treatments for most of the lung cancer patients we identify through the Lung Cancer Screening programme. This will have a huge benefit for these patients and their families, and for their chances of surviving and recovering from the cancer.”

Only those meeting the criteria and with an up-to-date GP record will be invited to take part in the programme. If you believe you are eligible, make sure your GP practice has a record of whether you smoke or have smoked in the past.

For more information about the programme please call 0300 300 1557 or visit www.eoelunghealthcheck.nhs.uk