Episode 5: Looking after your lungs

Taking Control of Cancer

In this episode, Steve Bland and Femi Odewale are exploring the Targeted Lung Health Check programme and finding out how it is saving lives through early diagnosis of lung cancer, as well as the support available to help people stop smoking.

Our guest is Stephanie Uys, Clinical Director for Targeted Lung Health Check Programme in north east London. Stephanie leads the Targeted Lung Health Check programme in north east London from a clinical perspective. She works for Barts Health and is also working with the cancer alliance on the programme. She is helping to drive uptake from both GP practices to get on board with the programme and also with patients so that more residents come forward for their free lung check. A key part of the programme is also about encouraging smokers to join a free, local smoking cessation programme which can help prevent lung cancer.

Lung cancer is one of the top 10 cancer types in north east London and nationally, around 50,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed every year (as stated on the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation website).

Early stages of lung cancer often don’t have any symptoms. However, at an early stage it is easier to treat and so early diagnosis is the key. The Targeted Lung Health Check Programme is designed to find anything early, which is helping to save lives. It is available free to 55-74 year olds who have ever smoked and the programme is going well in north east London, with one of the highest uptake rates in the country.

This episode looks at the impact the programme is having on improving the health of our population through both checking lungs and helping people to quit smoking, while at the same time also helping to reduce health inequalities.

More information on the Targeted Lung Health Check Programme is here: https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/tlhc