Lung cancer screening trial gets underway

A new initiative will bring potentially life-saving lung health checks directly into the communities of North Dublin and the North-East for the first time.

The Beaumont RCSI Irish Cancer Society Lung Health Check is a first-of-its-kind pilot clinical trial in Ireland and involves the use of mobile scanning units with the aim of detecting lung cancer cases earlier and saving lives.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Ireland, claiming more lives than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer combined. Early detection is key to improving survival rates, and this initiative is designed to identify lung cancer and other lung conditions before symptoms appear.

The Lung Health Check, funded by the Irish Cancer Society and supported by the EU4Health SOLACE consortium and the Department of Health’s Women’s Health Fund, will invite high-risk individuals in selected GP practices, beginning with the Centric Health network in North Dublin and the North-East region to attend a lung health check at a mobile scanning unit. This service, operated by Alliance Medical Diagnostic Imaging, will be based in local GAA clubs, including Croke Park, bringing convenient screening to community locations for those invited.

In Ireland, around 60 per cent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are detected at a later stage, when treatment options are more limited. However, introducing lung health checks for high-risk individuals using low dose CT scans has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by at least 20 per cent. International evidence has found that the vast majority (80 per cent) of patients diagnosed through similar programmes have early-stage lung cancer, when treatment is most effective and offers the best chance of cure.

This initiative is part of the €4.9 million Beaumont RCSI Irish Cancer Society Lung Outreach Programme, the largest single investment in lung cancer in Ireland’s history. It is led by consultant medical oncologist Prof Jarushka Naidoo. The announcement comes ahead of the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day on March 28, highlighting the importance of public support in advancing cancer research and care.

Prof Daniel Ryan, Respiratory Consultant at the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre and Clinical Lead of the Lung Health Check Pilot, said: “Having a mobile lung health check in the community is a major step forward for lung cancer care in Ireland, and we are proud to be leading this work.

“If you receive an invitation, I strongly encourage you to take part. A simple scan could make all the difference—catching lung cancer early can greatly improve outcomes.

“This pilot is breaking down barriers that have long stood in the way of early detection of lung cancer, bringing together partners across the healthcare system. The support from the Irish Cancer Society, and our collaboration with Centric Health GP practices, Alliance Medical Diagnostic Imaging, and the GAA clubs in the region will ultimately save lives”

The first invitations for the Lung Health Check will be sent by the select GP practices in the coming months with the first participants expected to undergo screening by early summer. The pilot clinical trial will focus on high-risk individuals, particularly current or former smokers, with the aim of assessing the impact of community-based lung health screening in Ireland.