More than 2,000 people in the North East and Yorkshire have had their lung cancer caught early through an NHS initiative which uses mobile scanning trucks in community locations such as supermarkets, sports stadiums and high streets.

New data also shows in England more than 10,000 lung cancers have been detected through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme – with more than three-quarters caught at stages one or two. People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stages are nearly 13 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late. Early detection is important because there are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages.

Through the Lung Cancer Screening Programme current and past smokers aged 55 to 74 are invited for an in-depth health check with a specially trained nurse. Those assessed as high risk are offered a low-dose CT scan at a lung cancer screening unit in a community setting.

In the North East and Yorkshire, lung cancer screening has contributed to the national milestone of 10,678 lung cancers caught early. Between 2019 and February this year in this region, 2,292 lung cancers were diagnosed through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme.

Humber and North Yorkshire NHS lung cancer screening service has delivered 57,536 assessments, conducted 47,811 initial and surveillance CT scans which have helped to diagnose 519 cases of lung cancer – 74% of which were diagnosed at stage 1 or stage 2. The service has also diagnosed other health conditions in more than 23,000 patients – including coronary calcification, emphysema and breast and oesophageal cancers.

Around 10% of the 10,000 lung cancers diagnosed through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme have been in the North East and North Cumbria. Data shows three out of four of the more than 1,000 lung cancers found in the North East and North Cumbria were at the earliest stages of one and two, when it is potentially curable.

The Northern Cancer Alliance (NCA) oversees the programme in the North East and North Cumbria, commissioned by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. Every eligible person will be invited to a check by 2028. Since 2021, nearly 330,000 people have been invited for a lung health check and more than 178,000 carried out. Over 111,000 low-dose CT scans have been undertaken, with more than 1,000 lung cancers diagnosed.

Launched in 2021, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw lung cancer screening programme has invited for screening everyone who meets the criteria, achieving 100% rollout. Almost 93,000 people have had a lung health check. From this, more than 39,000 people were referred for a CT scan, and 905 cancers have been detected. Out of these, 736 are lung cancers, with 78% found at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful. As well as lung cancers, 183 other cancers have been diagnosed.

Sandra Sloan went for her lung cancer screening in Doncaster in 2021. She hadn’t experienced any symptoms and had stopped smoking 16 years earlier. After having her lung health check, Sandra was referred for a scan, and a tumour was found on her lung. She had surgery on one of her lungs and has been given the ‘all clear’, making a complete recovery.

“You don’t expect to get cancer,” Sandra said. “You think you’re not going to get it, but you can. I’m so thankful that I took part in lung cancer screening. The sooner you get treatment, the better. I say to people just go for it; when you’re invited, you should always get checked. It could save your life, and it definitely saved mine.”

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance has welcomed the milestone of 10,000 people nationally being diagnosed and the thousands of lives saved as a result.

Dr Helena Rolfe, the Clinical Director of West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance, urged eligible people to take up their lung screening invitation when it came through.

Dr Rolfe said: “In our area, more than 500 people have been identified with cancer from lung screening programmes, often at an earlier stage where we can offer curative treatment. The programme has benefitted people who experience health inequalities the most, which is fantastic to see.

“We are also leading the way on innovation within the programme, making appointments bookable by text message, and by working with partners looking at finding possible kidney cancers amongst the same group who are eligible for lung cancer screening.”

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in England and around 26,000 people die from the disease every year. Seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking, while other causes include passive smoking and exposure to certain gases and chemicals.

Under the National Cancer Plan for England, the Government is aiming for 75% of people diagnosed with cancer to survive for five years or more by 2035. The nationwide rollout of the NHS’s programme by 2030 will lead to over 6 million people across England being invited for a lung health check; and is expected to support the diagnosis of up to 50,000 cancers.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “The Lung Cancer Screening Programme has been designed around where people already are, bringing scanners into their local communities to make it easier for people to get checked. It is great to see the positive public response to this programme, and rolling this out nationwide will help us save even more lives in the future.”