The devolved nations of the UK could go on to detect greater numbers of lung cancer cases with enhanced screening programs, as per the new analyses by Cancer Research UK, which call for governments to urgently execute them.
Lung cancer happens to be the leading cause of cancer death in England, Scotland, Wales, as well as Northern Ireland, and smokers, along with former smokers aged 55–74, are said to be at greatest risk.
Apparently, in November last year, the National Screening Committee- NSC went on to say that everyone in this group to get screened, but, as of date, only England has gone on to initiate a screening program based on this advice.
It is well to be noted that around 900,000 people happened to be invited for checks throughout the pilot stages in England, of which 200,000 scans were carried out, with more than 2,000 people being detected as having lung cancer, out of which 76% were those identified at an earlier stage, which is stage 1 or 2, as compared to 29% who were identified beyond the pilot program in 2019.
Lung cancer screening nationwide could indeed be a game-changer.
The latest analyses from Cancer Research UK suggest that equal lung cancer screening programs throughout the devolved nations could diagnose almost 4,000 more lung cancer patients across Scotland at an early stage in the next decade and 2,400 & 1400 people in Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
It is well to be noted that if just half of the eligible people took part in the screening, earlier lung cancer diagnosis could go on to save 2,300 lives in Scotland, 1,000 lives in Wales, and 600 lives across Northern Ireland in the next decade, as remarked by Cancer Research UK.
The professor of general practice at the University of Edinburgh, Professor David Weller, goes on to believe that a nationwide screening program has in it to be a game changer in terms of reducing the lung cancer burden in Scotland’.
He added that for too long, lung cancer has been regarded as a disease one cannot do anything about, but one knows that its diagnosis at an early stage can make a real difference.
Notably, major trials when it comes to targeted lung cancer screening go on to show a significant dip in mortality due to it. Pilot studies across the UK and also across the world have consistently shown people being detected with lung cancer at an earlier stage.
It is well to be noted that in Scotland, one of the pilot projects named LUNGSCOT, of which Professor Weller happens to be the principal investigator, is digging into the challenges when it comes to local lung cancer screening.
A pilot is also taking place in Wales, where charities such as Cancer Research UK happen to be running a public petition.
As for Northern Ireland, there are as of now no plans or pilots in order to report because of the lack of a Northern Irish Executive due to the 2022 elections. But the authors of the Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy 2022–2032 have already stressed that they intend to execute all NSC recommendations.
Cancer Research UK’s senior external affairs manager, Debbie King, in the devolved nations went on to say that lung screening matters as it means more people can get detected at an earlier stage, which makes the treatment more likely to be successful.
The fact remains that a fully funded national targeted lung cancer screening program across Northern Ireland, Scotland, as well as Wales is an absolute chance to decrease the toll of this disease.
Significantly, there have been big upgrades in how one diagnoses as well as treats other forms of cancer, but long-term lung cancer survival throughout the UK is not much higher as compared to what it was 50 years back. This is indeed not acceptable, as the evidence goes on to show that earlier diagnosis by way of targeted lung cancer screening can in a way help thousands of people live longer and healthier lives.’
Lauch of the cancer manifesto
This updated analysis got published just after Cancer Research UK went on to release its manifesto for decreasing deaths due to cancer by 20,000 a year by 2040.
While the entire cancer deaths has actually halved throughout the last 50 years, the growth happens to be at risk of stalling in the UK, the charity said.
Cancer Research UK, as part of the manifesto, has gone on to call on the next UK government to take into consideration the variation in treatment throughout varied geographical areas, which includes optimizing cancer screening programs along with speeding up the roll-out of the lung cancer screening program throughout England.
The former national cancer director at the Department of Health, as well as the chair of the National Screening Committee, Professor Sir Mike Richards, went on to state on the manifesto that cancer outcomes in the UK are struggling as compared to countries like Denmark, and one needs consistent funding and long-term planning to make the UK the pioneer in the world for cancer survival.
