Lung Health Checks

The programme is designed to offer lung health checks to people with a high risk of developing lung carer, and to identify lung cancer at an early stage when it is much more treatable.

During a trial of the programme in Manchester, 65 per cent of lung cancers were diagnosed at stage one and 13 per cent at stage four, compared to 18 per cent at stage one and 48 per cent at stage four before the trial.

In 2023, the Government announced that targeted lung health checks will become a national screening programme. This means that the programme will be rolled out across the whole country over the next few years. You can read the announcement here.

To date, over 250 people have been diagnosed with lung cancer through targeted lung health checks in the Lancashire area.

A targeted lung health check is a two-stage process to help assess the health of your lungs.

It begins with a telephone call where a nurse will ask a series of questions to evaluate your chance of developing lung cancer.

If you are identified as someone who is at an increased risk of developing lung cancer you will be invited for a CT scan of your lungs.

If you are a current smoker, you will also be offered help and support for if you wish to quit smoking.

If you are worried about a symptom of lung cancer, please do not wait until you are invited for a lung health check. Contact your GP as soon as possible. There are usually no signs or symptoms of lung cancer in the early stages. Symptoms develop as the condition progresses.

Symptoms may include:

• A persistent cough or change in your normal cough
• Coughing up blood
• Being short of breath
• Unexplained tiredness or weight loss
• An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
• Appetite loss

For more information on the signs and symptoms, visit the nhs.uk website: Lung cancer - Symptoms - NHS (www.nhs.uk)