Year of lung cancer tests | News and events

A lung cancer screening programme in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has made a strong start in its first year, helping to detect lung cancer early on and improve outcomes for local people.

Since launching in March 2025, almost 24,000 current and former smokers have been invited for screening, and by the end of February 2026 more than 14,000 had attended an initial appointment with 5,523 scans undertaken.

The programme offers free lung screening to people at higher risk of lung cancer. Around 98,000 local people aged 55–74 currently smoke or used to smoke, rising to more than 110,000 by 2029. All eligible people will receive an invitation for lung screening by 2029.

With around 33,000 dying from it each year, lung cancer kills more people in the UK than any other cancer. This is because symptoms usually appear only once the disease is advanced. Early detection makes a huge difference. Low‑dose CT screening can spot lung cancer up to three years earlier than traditional methods, and people diagnosed at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those diagnosed later.

Across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the Lung Cancer Screening Programme has already identified 44 lung cancers, with 59% diagnosed at stage 1, when treatment is most effective.

The programme has also found over 2,000 other health issues, including early signs of heart and lung conditions, helping people get treatment sooner.

Dr Fiona Head, Medical Director at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said: “Detecting lung cancer early gives people the best possible chance of successful treatment, and our Lung Cancer Screening Programme shows it is already making a real difference for local people. We’re grateful to everyone who has come forward so far, and we encourage anyone who receives an invitation to take up their appointment, because it could save your life.”

Professor Robert Rintoul, Honorary Respiratory Consultant at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Co-clinical Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Programme in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “Screening really has flipped the script and changed the story of lung cancer.

“Normally, without screening, 75% of lung cancers are found at stage 3 and 4, when treatment is much less likely to be effective.

“Now, through the national screening programme, 75% of lung cancers are being found at the earliest stages 1 and 2, when they can be treated with curative intent, such as surgery in our hospital.

“Working together with our programme partners across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, we are saving more lives.”

Only those who meet the eligibility criteria and have an up-to-date smoking history recorder by their GP practice will be invited. If you think you are eligible, please make sure your GP knows whether you smoke or used to.

When you book a lung cancer screening, you will first have a phone assessment with a nurse, who will ask you about your health, lifestyle, and smoking history. If you are thought to be at higher risk of developing lung cancer, you will be offered a follow-up appointment and scan on a mobile unit.

For more information about the programme please call 0300 300 1557 or visit https://eoelungcancerscreening.nhs.uk/