Please note that this section relates to screening in the general population. Alternative invitation and delivery approaches may be used for other high-risk groups where appropriate (e.g., people in prisons, long term mental health beds, temporary accommodation, or people experiencing homelessness).
Step: 1
Participants must be registered with a GP to receive an invitation for lung cancer screening. Participants aged 55 to 74 with a history of smoking coded in their GP record will be invited for an initial assessment.
Sometimes data on smoking status is incomplete or inaccurate in patient records , so some 55 to 74 year olds with no recorded smoking data may also be sent an invitation to get in touch if they are current or former smokers. This ensures that everyone is captured.
Step: 2
The initial assessment will involve the participant answering questions to determine if they are at a high risk of lung cancer.
If they are, they will then be offered a low dose CT scan of the lungs. Smoking cessation support will also be offered for those who need it.
Step: 3
A low dose CT scan helps to check for changes in the lungs that may be lung cancer.
The scan creates detailed pictures of the lungs from different angles to form a 3D image.
Step: 4
If the participant has suspected lung cancer, they will be referred for diagnostic tests as soon as possible.
If very small abnormalities called nodules are found, they may be invited to screening more regularly – for example in 3 months or 12 months depending on the finding. There might be variation in how nodules are followed up across different UK nations or even regions.
If no abnormalities are found, they will be reinvited for screening again in 24 months.
Get resources to support uptake, and find out more about targeted lung cancer screening.
Targeted lung cancer screening can support earlier diagnosis by identifying people at higher risk of lung cancer before symptoms develop.
You can contact our Strategic Evidence team if you have any questions.
