Scots patients can’t wait another decade for lung cancer screening, experts say

Experts have said that Scottish patients cannot wait another decade for lung cancer screening to be rolled out across the country.

It comes as a UK lung cancer campaign group and Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for faster progress towards a national targeted screening programme in Scotland.

According to the UK Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC), lung cancer remains Scotland’s biggest cancer killer, with 3,651 deaths recorded in 2024 – accounting for more than a fifth (22.3%) of all cancer deaths.

Around half (46%) of lung cancers in the nation are diagnosed at a late stage (stage four) when treatment is rarely possible, and the UKLCC said Scotland ranks 27th out of 29 European countries for five-year lung cancer survival.

Chairman of the UKLCC and consultant oncologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, Dr David Gilligan, said: “The UKLCC supports the Scottish Government’s willingness to introduce screening, but patients can’t wait a decade for the full benefits to be realised.”

Calls to speed up the lung cancer screening programme come as experts, researchers and policymakers gather for the UKLCC’s first Scottish regional lung cancer meeting in Stirling on Tuesday.

Ahead of the meeting, Dr John Maclay, consultant chest physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Scottish lung cancer management pathway lead, said lung cancer screening saves lives.

“Scotland risks falling further behind in terms of early detection of the disease unless efforts to roll out the screening programme are accelerated,” Dr Maclay said.

The Scottish Government said in February that it is looking at “every possible step” to speed up the introduction of a nationwide screening programme for lung cancer.

However, ministers previously indicated that it could take up to a decade to fully roll out a targeted screening programme for people aged 55 to 74 with a history of smoking, beginning in 2027.

Scottish Lib Dem health spokesperson Adam Harley said: “Survival rates for lung cancer aren’t much better than what they were in the 1970s, and access to diagnosis and treatment can still be a postcode lottery.

“A national lung cancer screening programme, which is already underway in England, could make a big difference, and that’s why my party have been calling for it to be rolled out across Scotland.”

Mr Harley added: “Cancer patients shouldn’t be waiting years for interventions like this. The government should be doing everything they can now to deliver on prevention and early diagnosis because that is how we can save lives.”

The calls to speed up the lung cancer screening programme in Scotland come as targeted lung cancer screening continues to expand elsewhere in the UK.

The UKLCC said more than two million people have now attended lung cancer screening appointments through the NHS England programme, and nearly 13,000 lung cancers have been detected – with three-quarters diagnosed at an early stage.

The campaign group said Wales is also advanced in planning its own lung cancer screening programme.

Dr John Maclay said: “The benefits are clear to see across the border.

“While research and planning for screening has been progressing for some time in Scotland, patients are understandably concerned about delays in introducing a programme that could help diagnose lung cancer earlier.”

The UKLCC said evidence for screening is now well established.

In 2022, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) recommended that all four UK nations move towards implementation of targeted lung cancer screening programmes with inclusion of smoking cessation.

Alongside major international studies, the group said the Scottish LUNGSCOT trial demonstrated that targeted lung cancer screening can be delivered successfully across Scotland, to high-risk individuals – including those living in rural and deprived communities – and can do so cost-effectively.

The UKLCC’s Scottish regional lung cancer meeting will bring together clinical leaders from across Scotland who are committed to turning evidence into action and ensuring that screening becomes a reality as quickly as possible, according to Dr Gilligan.

Maree Todd, Minister for Public Health, said: “Work is already well under way to introduce a national lung screening programme and we are working hard to roll out the first phase in 2027. This will focus first on eligible individuals most at risk of lung cancer, particularly in areas with high levels of socio-economic deprivation in Scotland.

“This timescale reflects the complex challenges of establishing a programme of this size and scope, and ensures the NHS will be able to respond to any new pathways.

“We continue to look at every option to accelerate this work and in the meantime we are continuing to invest millions in diagnostics, our new heart and lung health MOTs and in programmes to catch cancer earlier.”