Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance’s Lung Cancer Screening Programme, formerly known as Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC).
Your lungs work hard for you throughout your life. As you get older, it’s worth getting them checked out
SWAG Cancer Alliance's Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) Programme gives people a chance to check their lung health. We will test how well your lungs are functioning and offer advice and support around keeping your lungs healthy. Most of the time, we do not find any problems. In small number of cases, where a problem is picked up with a person’s lungs or breathing, finding it early could make treatment easier and more successful.
Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer in the UK as it is frequently diagnosed at a later stage than other cancers. There are often no signs or symptoms of lung cancer at an early stage. Lung cancer screening aims to find lung cancer early, sometimes before you have symptoms, when it is much more treatable - ultimately saving more lives.
The lung health check looks at how well your lungs are working and can help diagnose lung cancer as early as possible. Early diagnosis can make lung cancer more treatable and make treatment more successful.
“You don’t expect to get cancer. You think you’re not going to get it, but you can. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to take part in the Doncaster Lung Cancer Screening Programme. The sooner you get treatment the better. I say to people just go for it, you should always get checked. It could save your life.” - Sandra, patient of Doncaster’s Lung Cancer Screening Programme
Lung health checks are being offered to people between the ages of 55 – 74 who are current or former smokers.
Eligible individuals will be sent a letter inviting them to a telephone lung health check. This may lead to a face-to-face appointment and low-dose CT scan for some individuals.
We are hoping to be able to offer Lung Health Checks to everyone who meets these criteria across Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire in the next few years, so if you are not invited initially, you will be soon.
Contact our team on 0117 233 8127 or email: inl.swag.lcs@nhs.net
Christine and Danny's story
Danny and Christine were invited for a lung health check appointment in Hull in January 2020.
They are now telling their story to encourage others to attend.
“If you’re given the chance of a scan or test for any medical issue, GO FOR IT don’t make an excuse or delay it could save your life or even settle your mind over an unfounded worry.” - Rosie Bouch, patient, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston
