Doncaster medical professionals set to save more lives by detecting early lung cancer

A number of initiatives proposed, which could include scanning trucks operating from supermarket car parks, will check those most at risk, inviting people for an MOT of their lungs and a chest scan if needed.

This comes as part of a national investment of £70 million.

The targeted lung health check could help improve survival rates in Doncaster. A NELSON lung cancer trial. shows that low dose CT can pick up changes earlier and reduced lung cancer deaths by 26 per cent in men and between 39 per cent and 61 per cent in women.

Dr David Crichton, Chair, NHS Doncaster CCG said: “This is great news that Doncaster has been recognised as a project area which will hopefully help detect lung cancer at an early stage.

“This new project is intended to save lives – earlier diagnosis for cancer is crucial as it is easier to treat, not only saving lives, but it will also mean hundreds of patients will avoid life changing treatments.

“As a GP, I welcome this project; this gives a great opportunity to pick illness up earlier and also to support people to make a lifestyle change such as stop smoking, ultimately leading to healthy lives.”

Nationally, the roll out has the potential to reach around 600,000 people over four years, detecting approximately 3,400 cancers and saving hundreds of lives across the country.

Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) will lead the project, working with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS organisations in Doncaster will also work closely with the South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire Cancer Alliance to share best practice across the region.

It is anticipated that the mobile clinics will be in operation later this year.

The NHS Long Term Plan set out an ambition that 55,000 more people will survive their cancer – to achieve this the plan also included an ambition to increase the number of cancers diagnosed at stages one and two from half to three-quarters of cancer patients.

Julia Jessop, Cancer Alliance Programme Director, South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire Cancer Alliance said: “This is great news for the South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and North Derbyshire Cancer Alliance. This will be one of a range of strategies we’ll be using to tackle lung cancer in the region.

“We are continuing to look at how we can put national and regional new ways of working into place, targeted to local needs, to improve cancer services and care for our patients and the public.”

The project in Doncaster will last initially for four years and NHS England will then evaluate the results to use as a basis for further roll out.