Supermarket Scans Spotting Thousands of Cancers

Thousands of people in England have had lung cancer caught early thanks to NHS scanning trucks in supermarket car parks, sports stadiums and busy high streets.

New NHS data shows 10,678 lung cancers have been detected through the programme since it began – more than three quarters of which were caught at stages one or two.

People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stages are nearly 13 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late.

Local health teams perform in-depth lung health checks and scans on current and past smokers aged 55-74 years old.

The trucks form part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme - launched in 2019 in the areas hardest hit by the disease - which has now reached half of England's most at-risk people.

One person who benefitted from an earlier cancer diagnosis through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme is Ken Roberts, a 74 years-old manufacturing company director from Ladybridge, Bolton.

Ken was invited for a lung health check when a mobile scanning unit was parked at Morrisons in Bolton.

The granddad-of-five had no symptoms, so initially thought he wouldn't go, but changed his mind. A few days later Ken was asked to go for a further scan in hospital, and after some more checks was told he had stage 1 lung cancer. Ken underwent surgery, and, thanks to his early cancer detection, no further treatment was needed.

Ken said: “I ummed and ahhed about whether to go, but in the end, I went because it was so convenient, and I could park really easily!

“I answered the health questions with a nurse and then they offered me a scan on the truck that same day which I had too.

“They explained what would happen next and what the options were. I went to Oldham for a Positron Emission Tomography scan and then to Wythenshawe Hospital for a biopsy. This confirmed it was lung cancer, but it had been found at an early stage – stage 1 – and was treatable with surgery.

“I opted to have Robotic-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery, and I feel incredibly positive about my outcome because the cancer was found so early.

“Now I just feel really lucky that I went for that lung health check as I so nearly didn't go. And I'm telling everyone to go for theirs when they get the invite.

“It's really good news that thousands of people in Greater Manchester and across England have had their lung cancer diagnosed by this NHS scheme. This enables people to start treatment sooner, which makes it much more likely it will be successful.

“Without this scheme many of us – like me – wouldn't have known we had lung cancer and got help for it.”

Under the new National Cancer Plan, the Government is aiming for 75% of people diagnosed with cancer to survive for five years or more by 2035. National rollout of lung cancer screening throughout England is a key part of this.

The nationwide rollout of the NHS's programme by 2030 will lead to over 6 million people across England being invited for a lung health check; and is expected to support the diagnosis of up to 50,000 cancers.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Lung cancer checks and scans save lives, so it's fantastic the NHS has now diagnosed over 10,000 people — the majority at an early stage, when treatment is most effective.

“The Lung Cancer Screening Programme has been designed around where people already are, bringing scanners into their local communities to make it easier for people to get checked.

"It is great to see the positive public response to this programme, and rolling this out nationwide will help us save even more lives in the future.”

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in England; and around 26,000 people die from the disease every year. Seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking, while other causes include passive smoking and exposure to certain gases and chemicals.

A lung health check assesses a person's lung cancer risk using prediction models that consider factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, detailed smoking history, body mass index, and personal history of cancer or lung disease, with those identified as high risk offered a low-dose computed tomography scan (LDCT). 

Since the programme began more than 3.3 million people have been invited by the NHS to have a lung health check; and of those assessed, over 800,000 individuals underwent an LDCT scan.

Data shows that more than a third of people diagnosed with lung cancer from the most deprived areas of England were diagnosed early, since the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme began.

The NHS Lung Screening Programme is the biggest initiative in NHS history aimed at improving early lung cancer diagnosis.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray said: "Catching cancer early is a powerful way to save lives and ensure people live better with cancer, and this programme shows what the NHS can achieve when we take healthcare to people, rather than waiting for them to come to us.

"Under our National Cancer Plan, we want three in four people diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years, and earlier diagnosis is crucial to achieving that. I urge anyone who receives an invitation to take it up - it could be the most important thing you do this year."

Lung cancer does not usually cause noticeable symptoms until it's grown to a size big enough to cause problems or spread into other parts of the lungs or into the wider body.

The NHS programme was specifically created to support people without lung cancer symptoms, but might still be at risk of developing the disease.

Among the symptoms of lung cancer are a persistent cough (lasting over three weeks), coughing up blood, chest pain/aches, breathlessness, and unexplained weight loss or fatigue.

NHS leaders want everyone who receives an invitation 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: “Detecting more than 10,000 lung cancers early through screening is a remarkable step forward and shows the life-saving impact of bringing vital services directly into local communities.

“We know that the earlier lung cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chance of curative treatment and longer, healthier lives — and that's what matters most. Screening is already giving thousands more people that chance: more time, more moments, and more memories with the people they love.

“That's why it's so important to continue expanding this programme, reaching more communities and ensuring everyone has access. We're incredibly proud to support this life-saving initiative and helping the Government meet its ambition of 75% of people surviving cancer for five years or more by 2035.”

If someone believe they're eligible for a lung health check, but haven't received an invitation, they can contact their GP for clarification.

Cancer Research UK's chief executive officer, Michelle Mitchell, said: “It's great to see that lung screening in England has already helped detect thousands of cases at an early stage in people at high risk of lung cancer – something Cancer Research UK has campaigned for over many years. Early diagnosis significantly improves people's chances of survival, so this programme is key to tackling the UK's leading cause of cancer death and helping to reduce stark inequalities in cancer outcomes in England. 

“To maintain this progress, the UK Government must deliver on its pledge to rollout targeted lung screening in England by 2030 and ensure there are enough staff and resources to reach more people, and ultimately save more lives from lung cancer.”

If anyone has any concerns about or symptoms of lung cancer, they should visit their GP straight away and not wait for a lung health check.