Lung Cancer Screening

NHS Targeted Lung Health Checks is a new national cancer screening service to check if you have lung cancer. It is available to everyone who is registered with a Sunderland or South Tyneside GP, is aged between 55 and 74 years of age and who is a current or ex-smoker.

A Lung Health Check looks at the health of your lungs and is done in two parts.

You will have a phone call or meeting with a health professional. They will ask you about your health. They will look at your risk of developing lung cancer. If you are at higher risk you will be invited for a lung CT scan.
The scan takes a detailed picture of your lungs. This will be looked at by experts in this area. If they find any problems, you will be asked to come back for more treatment.

Please read our Targeted Lung Health Check Leaflet: What you need to know

Why Screening is offered

It can be hard to spot lung cancer. There are often no signs or symptoms at an early stage. Around seven in ten cancer patients are diagnosed too late. This means there is less chance that treatment will make them better.

If you are aged between 55 and 74 and have smoked, you have a higher risk of developing lung cancer. We want to check your lungs are working well. It’s rare that any problems are found. If they are, it means we can act quickly and provide treatment. You don’t have to take part in the check, but it could be much better for your health if you do.

Who is invited for lung cancer screening?

You should be invited for a Targeted Lung Health Check if:

You are aged between 55 and 74 years of age.
You are registered with a GP in Sunderland or South Tyneside.
You are a current or and ex-smoker (it does not matter how long ago you stopped)