A targeted lung cancer screening programme trialled by the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals is being rolled out nationally, the government has announced.
Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, the Leeds Lung Health Check Study is a pioneering clinical trial that has screened more than 7,500 people since it began in 2018 – finding 300 lung cancers and identifying 60 other cancers.
The researchers trialled using lung CT scans on a mobile unit that travelled to supermarket and shopping centre car parks, making it easier for people to take part.
Without the involvement of thousands of people across Leeds who signed up to be part of the trial, we would not have been able to share this important data and convince the Government to roll lung screening out on a much bigger scale.
Learnings from the study were adapted by the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme, which has been testing lung screening in areas of most need across England, including Hull and parts of South Yorkshire, where lung cancer incidence and death rates are significantly higher than average.
In the national programme, people aged 55-74 with a GP record including a history of smoking, will be assessed and invited for screenings and support to stop smoking.
Professor Matthew Callister, Honorary Professor at the University of Leeds and Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who led the research, said: “Lung cancer screening was shown to save lives over a decade ago, but the UK National Screening Committee wanted additional evidence that it was deliverable in the UK, and also that it offered value for money for the NHS as a whole.
“The Leeds Lung Health Check was able to provide the committee with new evidence of how screening works in the real world, together with data showing good response rates to invitation. The findings from the trial were critical in demonstrating that screening is cost-effective, and therefore represents good value for money.
“Without the involvement of thousands of people across Leeds who signed up to be part of the trial, we would not have been able to share this important data and convince the Government to roll lung screening out on a much bigger scale. It’s because of their willingness to be involved in research that we have been able to contribute to a clear model for how lung screening should be introduced across the country.
“We are enormously grateful to everyone who gave their time to take part in the trial and to Yorkshire Cancer Research for having the foresight and ambition to fund this important trial back in 2016.”
Rolling out screening to high-risk 55-74 year olds will save lives by detecting up to 9,000 lung cancers a year at an early stage.
The government’s decision to introduce lung scans across the country means that more lung cancers will be found at the earliest possible stage when they can be treated successfully.
A focus of the Leeds Lung Health Check – also known as the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial - has been providing on-site stop smoking support. All people attending a screening who still smoke are offered an immediate consultation with a stop-smoking advisor.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “As we approach the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS, I want to ensure that it continues to thrive for the next 75 years and beyond.
“And while we focus on cutting waiting lists in the short term, we must also look to tackle some of the long-term challenging facing the NHS, including lung cancer which costs 35,000 lives every year. Rolling out screening to high-risk 55-74 year olds will save lives by detecting up to 9,000 lung cancers a year at an early stage.
“The NHS has treated record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years, with cancer being diagnosed at an earlier stage more often and survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer. Today’s announcement will help us go further and provide a lifeline to thousands of families across the country”.
Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research said: “The Leeds Lung Health Check and Yorkshire Stop Smoking Study have helped pave the way for the introduction of a national screening programme for lung cancer. This is a huge success story for Yorkshire and truly demonstrates the incredible achievements that can be made when we collaborate and make things happen.
“We are grateful to each and every person for making a difference for people with cancer in Yorkshire. When rolled out, this new programme will save thousands of lives for many decades to come and play a significant role in reducing health inequalities in some of our region’s most deprived communities.”
Further information
For media enquiries, please email Lauren Ballinger in the University of Leeds press office.