Lung cancer is frequently diagnosed at a later stage than other cancers because often there are no signs or symptoms at an early stage.
To identify signs of lung cancer at an early stage, when the cancer is much more treatable, NHS England launched a pilot called the Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) programme. Building on the success of this pilot scheme, NHS England is now working with Cancer Alliances to roll out a new national Lung Cancer Screening programme.
Our Lung Cancer Screening programme will launch in early 2025 and be offered to people registered with a GP within Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who are at greatest risk of developing lung cancer – these are people aged between 55 and 74 years who are current or former smokers.
Lung Cancer Screening is a health check for your lungs. It will find out how well your lungs are working and can help find problems early, often before you notice anything is wrong. Most of the time no issues will be found. However, if cancer or another issue with your breathing or lungs are found early, treatment could be simpler and more successful. So, even if you think your lungs are fine, it is best to get them checked out.
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There are two main stages to Lung Cancer Screening. The first is an initial assessment with a health professional and the second, if needed, is a simple scan of the lungs.
If you are eligible to participate in the programme, you will receive a letter inviting you for an initial lung health check which will take place over the phone.
At the Lung Health Check, you will be asked some questions about your breathing, overall lung health, lifestyle and family and medical history. You will also be asked to confirm your height and weight. If you are a current smoker, you will also be offered a referral to your nearest Local Authority Stop Smoking Service which is able to provide expert support to help you quit smoking.
Based on the information you provide; the health care professional will be able to calculate the likely risk of you developing lung cancer.
There are three possible results from your lung health check:
- No problems are found – if the health professional calculates that you are at very low risk of you developing lung cancer and no lung health issues have been identified, you will be discharged from the Lung Cancer Screening programme. We will write to you and your GP to confirm this.
- You will be referred to your GP – if a problem with your breathing or lung health is found, we will refer you to your GP. We will also write to you to confirm this so that you can contact your GP to arrange an appointment if required.
- You will be offered a scan of your lungs – if the health professional calculates that you have a higher risk of developing lung cancer you will be offered a lung scan. The healthcare professional will help you to decide whether the test is right for you. We will write to you and your GP to confirm your appointment.
A lung cancer scan uses a low-dose CT scanner to take a detailed picture of your lungs to check for any problems, including early signs of lung cancer.
The appointment will last about 30 minutes and you’ll have a chance to ask the health professional any questions.
If your scan results come back with signs of anything concerning, you will be contacted with further information and referred for further tests and treatment.
If no problems are found, we will arrange for you to receive a repeat scan in 2 years. You will then continue to be offered repeat scans every 2 years until either lung cancer is found or you reach the age of 75 years, at which point you will be discharged from the programme.
Lung scans will take place at several locations across the county to provide easy access for all participants.
More information on Lung Cancer Screening will be made available nearer to the time of the programme’s launch.
You can find more information about lung cancer and advice on smoking can be accessed by clicking on the following links:
Lung Cancer
Living With and Beyond Cancer
Main Cancer Page
