Survival rates are higher when cancer is found at an early stage. Diagnosing cancer earlier is central to improving outcomes and delivering the National Cancer Plan’s ambition to improve survival.

This means making progress across all cancers, including rarer types. It requires:

• finding innovative approaches and using new technology
• maximising the impact of what already works
• focusing on disadvantaged areas, where early diagnosis rates are lower

Lung cancer screening

Lung cancer is often diagnosed late. The lung cancer screening programme offers lung health checks to people aged 55 to 74 who smoke or used to smoke. Those at higher risk are invited for a low-dose CT scan.

The programme has diagnosed thousands of lung cancers so far. Three quarters were found at an early stage. NHS data shows people from disadvantaged areas are now most likely to have their lung cancer diagnosed early.

The National Cancer Plan commits to rolling out lung cancer screening nationally by 2030.

Find out more about targeted lung cancer screening protocols and quality standards.

Early diagnosis of liver cancer

Around 6,500 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year. Incidence has increased by 50% over the past decade and is expected to keep rising. Liver cancer is the fastest rising cause of cancer death in the UK. Only 13% of people survive 5 years or more after diagnosis.

Early diagnosis is critical. Current evidence suggests only 33% to 50% of liver cancers are diagnosed at an early stage.

The Early Diagnosis of Liver Cancer Programme aims to:

• detect more hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) at an early stage, so patients can benefit from curative treatment (HCC makes up 85% of all liver cancers)
• ensure more people at high risk of HCC are referred to and stay engaged with liver surveillance programmes

How the programme works

The programme has 3 workstreams.

Improving liver surveillance programmes

NICE guidance (NG50, CG165, CG115) recommends that people at high risk of liver cancer (those with hepatitis B or cirrhosis) have liver surveillance every 6 months. Surveillance is linked to better early-stage detection, higher curative treatment rates and longer survival.

However, delivery varies. Patients are not always invited for surveillance or supported to attend appointments.

Community liver health checks

Working with the NHS Hepatitis C Elimination Programme and operational delivery networks, fibroscans are being offered in underserved communities. This identifies people at risk of liver cancer and ensures they are enrolled in local surveillance programmes.

Primary care pilots

We are working with 12 primary care pilot sites to identify and test people at risk of liver cancer using fibroscans and blood tests. Those found to have advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis will be enrolled in local surveillance programmes.

Find out more about hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance resources on the NHS England website.