The NHS is rolling out cancer screening trucks in supermarket car parks nationwide after a successful trial led to a four-fold increase in early lung cancer detection. High-risk patients aged 55 to 75 who smoke or have smoked are being offered tests at mobile scanners located at Tesco and Asda stores.
The pilot scheme in three deprived areas of Greater Manchester saw early detection rates rise from under 20% to over 80%. More than 2,500 people attended for tests, with half receiving an on-the-spot scan. This resulted in 42 cancers being discovered, many at an early stage where curative treatment was possible. Only 10% of cancers were stage four, which is usually incurable.
Nick Hopkinson, medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation, welcomed the rollout, stating that screening tests can pick up lung cancer at a much earlier stage before symptoms appear. He called for a comprehensive national plan to tackle lung disease, the UK's third biggest killer.
Lung cancer causes around 16,300 deaths annually in Britain, with 46,400 new cases each year. Currently, only one in ten patients survives five years after diagnosis, as the disease often spreads before detection. The new scheme aims to improve survival rates by making screening more convenient and less daunting for patients.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said early detection is key to improving survival rates, noting that the average prognosis for lung cancer patients is just 200 days. The extra funding will extend screening to London, Hull, Cumbria, and additional Manchester sites.
