Today marks World Lung Cancer Day 2024, an annual day used to raise awareness of lung cancer, its impact on communities across the world, and the steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of lung cancer through preventative action and earlier, faster diagnosis.
It’s the second consecutive World Lung Cancer Day without a Welsh Government commitment to rolling out a targeted lung, bowel, cervical and breast cancer screening programmes.
Targeted lung cancer screening was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee in autumn 2022, and while the Welsh Government supports the recommendation in principle it remains unable to commit to a programme in practical terms. Wales, falling behind on progress seemingly taking place across England.
Lung cancer is one of several less survivable cancers, but that’s not inevitable. Detected early, lung cancer is much more survivable than when it’s diagnosed after it has spread around the body and treatment options are far fewer.
What have we achieved since World Lung Cancer Day 2023?
In June 2023 the UK Government agreed to fully roll out targeted lung cancer screening across England by March 2030. During its initial phase – informed by numerous studies and pilot projects - nearly a million English residents with a history of smoking have been invited for a lung health check, leading to the detection of thousands of early lung cancers.
Developments in England, alongside frustrations with the rate of progress led Tenovus Cancer Care to work with other 3rd sector partners to develop a multi-modal campaign to:
- Increase awareness of targeted lung cancer screening and lung health checks among Senedd Members and political parties in Wales
- Apply continued pressure on the Welsh Government to commit to rolling out a new screening programmes
- Increase awareness of lung cancer, and the importance of early lung cancer diagnosis among the public
Twelve months ago – World Lung Cancer Day 2023 we initiated our campaign with an open letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Eluned Morgan. Signed by the CEOs of Tenovus Cancer Care, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation we called on Welsh Government “to commit the Welsh Government to developing and rolling out a targeted lung cancer screening programme.” The press and media interest in the story led to the Welsh Government issuing a written statement that unfortunately said nothing new and fell far short of following the example set by the NHS in England.
In October 2023, at the very start of the lung health check pilot in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, the Senedd’s cross party group on cancer and cross-party group on smoking and health held a joint meeting to hear from academics involved in the development of lung health check projects in England and Wales. Around this time, the Cabinet Secretary for Health started to receive more interest in lung health checks from Senedd Members in the form of correspondence and questions.
The following month, our partners at Cancer Research UK organised a lung health checks petition. Tenovus Cancer Care helped to publicise it – by the time the petition closed in April 2024, over 5,000 people had expressed their support for a new screening programme.
We arranged for Rhondda MS Buffy Williams to visit the Lung Health Check pilot in November 2023 and ensured she was fully aware of the significance of the pilot, since we wanted someone from within Welsh Labour backbenches to act as an advocate on the Government in the Senedd chamber. Following her visit to Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda Buffy Williams MS has remained a firm supporter of lung health checks, she secured a visit to the pilot by the Cabinet Secretary for Health; and has shone a light on developments within the Senedd.
We also look forward to Buffy’s support once circumstances allow us to hold a fringe event at the next Welsh Labour conference. That will present us with an opportunity to promote lung health checks, and targeted lung cancer screening among Welsh Labour delegates.
As 2023 turned to 2024 more positive news came from the Welsh Government. The Cabinet Secretary issued funding to Public Health Wales to scope out the work needed to develop a targeted lung cancer screening programme. While it wasn’t the full commitment we called for, it marked a shift towards a new programme, and away from the stubborn ambiguity of six months earlier. The tone and language coming from Welsh Government Ministers, from the First Minister down, also changed – much more positive.
Over recent months we’ve maintained political interest in Lung Health Checks – a result of the ongoing pressure of our campaigning activity. Plaid Cymru’s general election manifesto, published in June 2024, contained a commitment to lung health checks – we'll want that carried over to the Senedd election. The Cabinet Secretary for Health also responded to ongoing scrutiny in the Senedd. We’ll continue to use campaigning techniques to scrutinise developments and hold the Welsh Government to account.
In June, the first meeting of the Targeted Lung Cancer Screening Project Board was held. The project board is tasked with scoping and making the case for a new cancer screening programme and contains a couple of representatives of the third sector, including Tenovus Cancer Care CEO Judi Rhys MBE. While we might disagree with the pace of change, it’s beginning to feel like it’s just a matter of time before a commitment to lung health checks is made.
Of all the recent developments the most impressive was Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s announcement that the lung health check pilot had succeeded in its aim to identify early-stage lung cancers in two of its participants.
We hope that when a decision is reached, that Wales’s disadvantaged communities will benefit from lung health checks first, and the roll out is designed and implemented at pace.
Hopefully, World Lung Cancer Day 2025 will be more momentous than the last two and Wales can look forward to having a positive impact on cancer inequalities through earlier lung cancer diagnosis.
