The introduction of lung cancer screening in Scotland could save thousands of lives, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK) estimates.

If Scotland were to introduce targeted lung checks in the same way as England, around 4,000 more lung cancer patients in Scotland could be detected at an earlier stage over the next 10 years.

CRUK estimates that, even if only 50% of eligible people took part in the screening programme, it could save 2,300 lives in Scotland over the same period.

It comes as Scotland explores how best to take forward a recommendation to introduce targeted screening for those most at risk, while in the throes of acute financial pressure.

 

The LUNGSCOT pilot

The Scottish government has committed to improve cancer survival, particularly for less-survivable cancers like lung cancer which has a 16.1% survival rate at five years.

Delays in diagnosis contribute to poorer outcomes, and recent figures from Public Health Scotland show that more than a third of Scots diagnosed with lung cancer are waiting more than 62 days from diagnosis to treatment.

Ministers say they will introduce a lung cancer screening programme in adults aged 55-74 with a history of smoking, in line with a recent recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, backed by Chief Scientist Office funding, are currently exploring the best way to implement this.

The LUNGSCOT pilot focuses on accessibility related to rurality and deprivation, in recognition of lung cancer being more than twice as common in Scotland’s most deprived areas than the least deprived areas.

Principal investigator, Professor David Weller, says early successes from England’s Targeted Lung Health Check programme indicate that a nationwide screening programme “has the potential to be a game-changer when it comes to reducing the burden of lung cancer in Scotland”. 

He adds: “For too long, lung cancer has been perceived as a disease you can’t do anything about, but we know that diagnosis at an early stage really can make a difference. 

“Major trials of targeted lung cancer screening show significant reductions in mortality from lung cancer. Pilot studies in the UK and internationally consistently show people being diagnosed with lung cancer at an earlier stage.” 

 

The future of screening in Scotland

Despite its potential benefits, the Scottish Director of Screening at NHS National Services Scotland has raised concerns about the millions per year that a lung cancer screening programme will likely cost.

At a recent meeting of the Scottish Screening Committee, which advises the government, members also highlighted recruitment challenges and increasing technological developments as key challenges within existing programmes.

In Scotland, screening is currently offered for adults with bowel, breast, and cervical cancer, abdominal aortic aneurysms and diabetic retinopathy, as well as pregnant women and newborn babies.

A short-life working group has been established to work out how Scotland can best prioritise its screening programmes in the context of ‘major pressures’.

 

Read more: Air pollution exposure linked to early death; First Innovation pathway medicines accepted; 'Weaknesses' found in Scotland's cervical screening

 

 

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