The UK’s largest cancer research organisation is calling for the immediate rollout of a targeted lung cancer screening programme in Scotland to diagnose the disease earlier and improve survival. Cancer Research UK says they want the introduction of screening to be a major policy commitment of the next Scottish parliament and Scottish government.

A new analysis from the charity published today to coincide with the annual Scottish Cancer Conference suggests 68% of cases in Scotland are being diagnosed at a late stage, by which time treatment is less likely to be successful.

Three years ago, the UK National Screening Committee recommended that all UK nations move towards implementing lung cancer screening to target those considered to be at high risk of developing lung cancer – people aged between 55 and 74 who either smoke or used to smoke.  

The Scottish government was heavily criticised in the summer when the minister for public health suggested that, even though a programme has been introduced in England, and Wales will begin theirs in 2027, it could be seven to ten years before Scotland is able to follow suit.

Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume says, with lung cancer the most common cause of cancer deaths in Scotland, action here to detect cases sooner is critical:

“Far too many people in Scotland are being diagnosed with lung cancer at a late stage when there are fewer treatment options. This is unacceptable when evidence shows that earlier diagnosis through targeted lung cancer screening can potentially help thousands of people live longer healthier lives.

“This is already being rolled out in England, and Scotland cannot afford to fall behind. The time to act is now. We need a clear commitment from the next Scottish government to fund and deliver a national programme without delay.”

Cancer Research UK recently published its Longer Better Lives election manifesto for Scotland, calling on the next Scottish Government to commit to reducing cancer death rates by 15% by 2040, saving around 10,100 lives in Scotland.

The campaign is being supported by Angela Brown of West Kilbride, North Ayrshire. A life-long smoker, she was diagnosed with a stage four lung cancer after visiting her doctor with symptoms. She believes targeted lung cancer screening for smokers could save lives – and says she still wonders if she should have visited her doctor sooner:

“I’d had a cough off and on for some time, but life gets in the way. I had been busy, then I’d been on holiday. I thought I had a chest infection so never in a million years did I think I’d get told that I had lung cancer. But if I hadn’t gone to the doctor when I did then I probably wouldn’t be here right now.

“I know the earlier cancers are picked up, the more treatment options there can be. Surgery and radiotherapy were not options for me by the time cancer was diagnosed.”

Angela was diagnosed on 28 June 2023 and began the first of six chemotherapy sessions at University Hospital Crosshouse the following August. The 53-year-old also received immunotherapy treatment.

On 12 August this year, Angela rang the bell at Crosshouse Hospital to mark the end of treatment after scans showed that the cancer had stopped growing in her left lung and shrunk in her chest area.

Lung cancer charity, the Roy Castle Cancer Foundation has been campaigning for screening since 2022.

The Foundation says in England, by January 2025, 31% of the eligible population had been assessed and offered screening. By then 6,200 people had been diagnosed with lung cancer through lung cancer screening, of whom 75% had Stage I or II disease – the stage at which the aim of treatment is cure.

This compares, the Foundation says, to 29.2% of patients diagnosed with stage I or II disease in Scotland in 2022.

In a written answer on screening last August, Scotland’s Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jennie Minto said:

‘We will continue collaborating with colleagues across the NHS and partner agencies to ensure the effective rollout of lung screening, while exploring ways to minimise the impact on services further along the treatment pathway.’

Since then, the health secretary Neil Gray has said the government is seeking to move forward the timelines for introducing lung screening, and is looking at alternative approaches to catching up with England.

 

Read more: Stalled smoking rates spark funding questions; Deprivation gap in cancer “unacceptable” says charity ; AI for lung cancer care to help tackle “hidden killer”; Scotland falling behind on lung cancer screening

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox.