Much needed, but much still to do: Our response to NHS England’s announcement for lung health checks
NHS England has today confirmed a multimillion pound investment to roll out 14 targeted lung health checks across England to improve the early detection of lung cancer.
Building on its 10-year plan and its commitment to improve early detection and lung cancer survival rates, the checks will be available to people aged 55 to 74 who have a smoking history and live in one of the following areas:
Lung cancer remains the biggest cancer killer in the UK, killing more people than breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined. With vague symptoms, which often only start to show when the cancer is at an advanced stage, early detection is difficult and, as a result, survival rates lag behind.
The introduction of targeted lung health checks will help us get ahead of the disease and see more people diagnosed at an early stage when curative
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, shares her thoughts on the announcement, and what’s next for the early detection of lung cancer:
“We welcome today’s announcement confirming the roll out of 14 lung health checks across England. Given our own first-hand knowledge of these programmes, coupled with the staggering results from the NELSON trial which saw a 26% reduction in mortality when high-risk patients had a CT scan, this is a big step forward in improving the early detection of lung cancer.