Published on 17 October 2022
Research in Liverpool played a major role in the chance of a targeted lung cancer screening programme across the UK, for those at high risk of the disease.
Screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer save thousands of lives from cancer each year. Now, the latest recommendation to the Government from the UK National Screening Committee is that there should be national screening for lung cancer.
According to the University of Liverpool, the city has been pivotal in establishing lung cancer screening for early diagnosis in the UK.
The University writes: “In 1993, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation awarded a grant to Professor John Field to study genetic changes in lung cancer. This work formed the basis for the Liverpool Lung Project (LLP) and the development of the LLP risk model to help identify individuals at high risk of developing lung cancer.
“Professor Field went on to lead the UK Lung Cancer Screening Trial (UKLS), the UK’s first lung cancer CT screening trial at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Royal Papworth Hospital.
“Results from the UKLS trial demonstrated the life-saving potential and financial feasibility of a programme of lung screening; prompting the UK’s first lung screening pilot in Liverpool, where there is a disproportionately high incidence of lung cancer.
“Launched in 2016, the Liverpool Healthy Lung Project received an investment of £3m from the NHS Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to tackle local health inequality.”
This project was then taken up in areas of greatest need across the country, and was extended locally to Halton and Knowsley, with a further extension to south Sefton and St Helens planned to start later this year, funded by Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance.
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