Are you eligible for lung cancer screening?
Are you eligible for lung cancer screening?
If you are ged between 55 and 74 and have ever smoked, you may be offered an NHS lung health check – 72 per cent of lung cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking.
Millions of people identified as being at risk of the disease will receive letters over the next five years offering them an initial telephone triage with a medical professional.
They are then likely to be invited for lung cancer screening.
If the results of the scan show signs of anything of concern, the patient may be referred for further lung scans and treatment at hospital.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is sending out 45,000 letters over the next two years. Himali O’ Regan, clinical lead for lung cancer screening at the trust, said:“ This screening programme is absolutely vital in helping us detect lung cancer at the earliest opportunity.
“ Any scans that identify urgent findings will result in the patient being invited to a dedicated screening clinic at Torbay Hospital for further investigation. Any nonurgent findings on CT scans will be communicated to the patient and GP directly.”
Around 14,000 people in the region who could be potentially at a higher risk of contracting lung cancer, due partially to their history of smoking, have already been identified
Michelle Weston from the Peninsula Cancer Alliance, which is co-ordinating the screening scheme across the region, said:“ Your lungs work hard every minute of your life. Lung cancer screening can help to find problems early – often before you notice anything is wrong.”
Visit the NHS website to see if health checks are available in your area.
Cancer Research UK called for the rollout to be speeded up, and for all four UK nations to complete it sooner, to spot more lung cancers at an earlier stage and help save lives.
Samantha Harrison, head of strategic evidence at Cancer Research UK, told The i Paper:“ Over the last decade, tens of thousands of lung cancer patients in England have been treated later than they should have been.