Life-saving checks for lung cancer are set to resume

A MULTI-MILLION pound screening programme which is “saving lives” through early lung cancer diagnosis in set to resume next week.

The Yorkshire Cancer Research-funded Leeds Lung Health Check launched in late 2018, carrying out scans in a mobile unit based in supermarket car parks and shopping centres.

By February this year, more than 4,000 people had been checked for signs of lung cancer, and more than 80 cancers had been diagnosed with the majority found at an early stage.

The programme has been paused while health experts focused on providing frontline care for Covid-19 patients, but it will resume on Monday.

Further tests will be carried out on people who have already been screened and whose initial scans showed lung nodules. These nodules are small growths that can be cancerous, and require monitoring over time with repeat CT scans to identify any changes.

Patients found to have early stage cancer will receive surgery and radiotherapy as normal.

Respiratory medicine consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Dr Mat Callister, who is leading the study, said the pandemic has had “a huge impact” on the provision of care for people with lung cancer.

He added: “We will be taking precautions to ensure the safety of both staff and patients, including supplying personal protective equipment, checking for symptoms, implementing social distancing measures, hand washing on arrival and thorough cleaning of the facilities.

“The Leeds Lung Health Check is saving lives through early diagnosis and we look forward to fully reintroducing the programme as soon as it is safe to do so.”