Thousands of current and former smokers aged 55-74 in and around Cambridge will soon be invited for a free NHS lung cancer screening, to help catch lung cancer early and save lives.

Nearly 2,000 local people have already benefited from the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme since it launched in Peterborough and Huntingdon in February. The screening programme offers free lung screening to people at increased risk of lung cancer. People in and around Cambridge who are eligible for free lung cancer screening will receive an invitation to a screening appointment in the coming weeks and months.

To raise awareness of this life-saving programme locally, a twelve-feet high set of lungs will visit Parker’s Piece on 15 August from 10am to 4pm – helping to spread the word about this vital initiative whilst giving local people the chance to see lung diseases up close.

It is estimated that 98,000 people aged 55-74 in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough currently smoke or have smoked in the past. This figure is expected to exceed 110,000 by 2029. As part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening programme, all eligible people will receive an invitation for a lung health check by 2029.

Early detection significantly increases survival rates, with those diagnosed at the earliest stages being nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years compared to those diagnosed later.

Dr Theresia Mikolasch at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is hosting the programme in Cambridge, said: “Lung cancer screening aims to find lung cancer early before people have symptoms. It is important that anybody who is invited for screening attends their appointment. Early diagnosis makes cancer more treatable and the treatment more successful, including potentially curing it.”

Professor Robert Rintoul, Professor of Thoracic Oncology in the Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal Papworth Hospital, said: “Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, but the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country due to late diagnosis. When diagnosed at a later stage, it can be difficult to treat and that is why the Lung Cancer Screening Programme aims to diagnose lung cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.

“I would urge that if you are aged 55 to 74 and have ever smoked, to please make sure your GP records show this, and if you receive an invitation for screening, please do not ignore it as it could save your life.”

Dr Malcolm Lawson, Lung Cancer Screening Programme Clinical Lead for the East of England Cancer Alliance, said: “We are very keen for people to take up their invite for screening and book their appointment. In most cases it will just provide some reassurance and a negative result, but if any cancer is identified following a CT scan, early diagnosis gives people the best chance of survival and successful treatment. Most cases diagnosed via the Screening Programme in the East of England have been identified at an early stage, when there is a really good chance of successful treatment and curing their lung cancer.”

Paula Chadwick, Chief Executive Officer of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, added:

“We are delighted to be working with the NHS team in Cambridge to promote the importance of screening. When lung cancer is caught early, it is possible to cure. We need people to know this so fear doesn’t stop them taking up this potentially life-saving opportunity.

“If you have any questions about lung cancer or the screening programme, please come down to Parker’s Piece on 15 August and talk to our team. It could save your life.”

Only those who meet the criteria and have an up-to-date GP record will be invited. If you think you are eligible, please make sure your GP knows if you smoke or used to smoke.

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

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

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

  • In 2024/2025, across the entire East of England region, the NHS invited 115,184 people for a lung cancer screening assessment, carried out 34,914 lung health checks and conducted 24,178 CT scans.
  • 228 cancers were diagnosed in 2024/2025 as a result of the lung cancer screening programme in the East of England region, out of which there were 168 cancers diagnosed at an early stage (stages 1 and 2), which is 74% of the cancers that were diagnosed.
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