‘NHS cancer check outside Morrisons may have saved my life’

A grandfather-of-five has told how a health check in a Morrisons car park may have saved his life after it led to a diagnosis of stage one lung cancer. Ken Roberts, 74, had no symptoms so had been unsure about attending when he was invited for an assessment by the NHS. He said: “I ummed and ahhed about whether to go, but in the end, I went because it was so convenient, and I could park really easily.

“I answered the health questions with a nurse and then they offered me a scan on the truck that same day which I had too. They explained what would happen next and what the options were. I went to Oldham for a PET scan and then to Wythenshawe Hospital for a biopsy. This confirmed it was lung cancer, but it had been found at an early stage and was treatable with surgery.”

Ken, of Ladybridge in Bolton, Greater Manchester, opted for robotic-assisted keyhole surgery. Luckily his cancer had been caught early and he needed no further treatment.

He added: “Now I just feel really lucky that I went for that lung health check as I so nearly didn’t go. And I’m telling everyone to go for theirs when they get the invite.

“It’s really good news that thousands of people in Greater Manchester and across England have had their lung cancer diagnosed by this NHS scheme.

“This enables people to start treatment sooner, which makes it much more likely it will be successful. Without this scheme many of us, like me, wouldn’t have known we had lung cancer and got help for it.”

Lung cancer checks in supermarket car parks, sports stadiums and busy high streets have helped to detect more than 10,600 cancers since 2019, according to NHS England.

Thousands of cases have been caught early thanks to the programme, which includes mobile testing trucks used to offer convenient checks to people at high risk of the disease.

Patients diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stages are nearly 13 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is identified late.

Targeted checks were launched seven years ago to offer convenient screening for those at high risk — current and former smokers aged 55 to 74. Areas hardest hit by the disease, including Manchester and Liverpool, were among the first to launch life-saving programmes.

A nationwide rollout is now planned by 2030, which will see more than six million people across England invited for a check. It is hoped this will lead to the detection of up to 50,000 cancers.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said the programme was “designed around where people already are, bringing scanners into their local communities to make it easier for people to get checked”.

He added: “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.”

Around 26,000 people die from lung cancer every year in England. Seven in 10 cases are caused by smoking. The disease often does not cause any noticeable symptoms until tumours have grown significantly or spread to other parts of the body.

A lung health check assesses a person’s risk by taking into account factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, smoking history, body mass index and personal history of cancer or lung disease.

Those found to be at high risk are offered a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan. More than 3.3 million people have been invited for checks and more than 800,000 have undergone an LDCT scan.

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation said: “Detecting more than 10,000 lung cancers early through screening is a remarkable step forward and shows the life-saving impact of bringing vital services directly into local communities.

“We know that the earlier lung cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chance of curative treatment and longer, healthier lives — and that’s what matters most.

“Screening is already giving thousands more people that chance: more time, more moments, and more memories with the people they love. That’s why it’s so important to continue expanding this programme, reaching more communities and ensuring everyone has access.”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said the programme was “key to tackling the UK’s leading cause of cancer death and helping to reduce stark inequalities in cancer outcomes in England”.

She added: “To maintain this progress, the UK Government must deliver on its pledge to rollout targeted lung screening in England by 2030 and ensure there are enough staff and resources to reach more people.”

Health Secretary James Murray said: “Catching cancer early is a powerful way to save lives and ensure people live better with cancer, and this programme shows what the NHS can achieve when we take healthcare to people, rather than waiting for them to come to us.

“Under our National Cancer Plan, we want three in four people diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years, and earlier diagnosis is crucial to achieving that. I urge anyone who receives an invitation to take it up — it could be the most important thing you do this year.”

Anyone who believes they are eligible for a lung health check but has not received an invitation can contact their GP for clarification.