Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) launched in Doncaster as one of 10 pilot areas in 2021 and has since made its way across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw (SYB), with the aim of finding lung cancer at an earlier stage and reducing the health inequalities gap. These pilots were so successful that it is going to be a national programme by 2029.
If you're aged between 55 and 74, smoke or used to smoke, and are registered with a GP in Barnsley, you will receive a letter inviting you for LCS.
Dr Jason Page, Clinical Director of LCS in SYB, said: “We’ll soon be inviting people who have turned 55 or moved to Barnsley since we were last here to join the nearly 12,500 people who had their Lung Cancer Screening back in 2023.
“People who attended their Lung Health Check appointment but didn’t quite reach the risk score needed to be referred for a scan will also be invited, because the risk of lung cancer increases with age. For the same reason, and because their risk score is unknown, those who didn’t respond last time will be reinvited with the new cohort.”
The LCS team is working hard to promote LCS across Barnsley, talking to people about how vital it is to attend all your screening appointments. Last month, they had a stand at the brilliant One Stop Cancer Shop in the town centre, organised by the Barnsley Cancer Champions to showcase a wide range of information about different cancers and raise awareness on the importance of screening.
The Mayor of Barnsley Cllr David Leech came along to the event and chatted with the LCS team, saying: “I’ve had my Lung Cancer Screening. I got my invite a couple of years ago and fortunately everything was fine.
“A friend of mine also got his invite, had his Lung Cancer Screening, and was referred for the CT scan. They found a shadow on his kidney, which turned out to be a cancerous tumour. He had an operation to remove it, but he definitely wasn’t expecting that. It just goes to show how important it is to go for your screening when you’re invited.”
If you are referred for a CT scan after you’ve had your Lung Health Check, it’s good to be aware that the scanner takes an image of your chest. Out of the more than 700 cancers found through the SYB Lung Cancer Screening programme, more than 100 of these haven’t been lung cancer.
Part of the LCS service is smoking cessation support, and all current smokers who take up their LCS will be offered help to stop smoking, if they would like it. The team is aware that tobacco addiction is a disease and not a lifestyle choice, so there is no judgement whatsoever, whether the offer of cessation support is accepted or declined.
Mayor Leech said: “I gave up smoking 38 years ago. I was smoking 140 cigarettes a day. It’s great people are also offered support to quit, I’m so glad I don’t smoke anymore.”
Now that LCS is starting to invite new cohorts in areas previously visited, the team has produced a new video that follows the process and shows a walkthrough of what happens at a scan appointment.
Dr Page added: "We have a better understanding of our eligible population and what may be stopping them from attending their appointments.
"A common reason is feeling anxious about having a scan. In a nutshell, LCS is in two parts: the Lung Health Check, which is a telephone conversation with a healthcare professional who will ask questions to determine your risk of developing lung cancer. Only if your risk score meets a certain threshold will you be referred for the second part, the CT scan. It's a misconception that if you are eligible for LCS you will automatically have a scan, when we’re only seeing around 50% of people who have a Lung Health Check being referred for one.
"We want our SYB residents to be well informed about LCS and understand that it’s saving lives. We're very proud of our new video and truly hope it’s helpful for people."
You can watch the four-minute video on the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Cancer Alliance’s You Tube channel, at https://youtu.be/Z1AfPolZxdQ?si=OxIAlWaE-7zxlPVl
For more information on Lung Cancer Screening in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw, please visit www.lungcancerscreeningsyb.co.uk
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