News

One of the LTF Objectives is 'Eventual screening programme for Oesophageal Cancer' - so this is good to read. However, never as easy as it at first seems. 'The National Screening programme, - which already tests for cancers of the breast, cervix and bowel - is to be extended to include lung cancer following new guidance from the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) ... ..likely to offer CT scans to smokers (past and current 0 aged 55-74 in light of evidence that it could help to catch silent cancers at an earlier stage when they are more likely to be treatable.  Smoking remains by far the biggest risk factor.  It is never too late to give up. Finally the programme needs to be effective. Studies demonstrate 'screening .. can catch cancers earlier and reduce the chances of the disease killing them'. ​National screening programmes are expensive and resource heavy. (£700 million pa for breast cancer screening).   Might the money required be better spent bolstering existing treatments, on awareness campaigns or used to help more smokers give up.  Some of the reasons we don't have more national screening programmes.  It is good to read of this progress on screening and believe, along with encouraging people to change lifestyles in respect of smoking, alcohol, poor diet, and obesity, all considered risk factors for cancer, survival rates could be much improved . .