Trucks in supermarket car parks will offer lung cancer checks under a new scheme to be rolled out across England.
Hundreds of thousands of people are to be screened over the next four years, as part of an NHS drive to catch the disease early and improve chances of survival.
The £70 million initiative, which includes 10 projects nationally, will target areas recording the highest death rates for lung cancer.
Around 600,000 people are expected to benefit over the next four years, and an estimated 3,400 cancers could be detected as a result, NHS England said.
“Catching more cancers early is a cornerstone of the NHS Long Term Plan to save a further 55,000 lives a year and targeted lung health checks is one of the first projects to roll out following publication,” Cally Palmer, national cancer director at NHS England, said.
“These new projects will save lives – early diagnosis for cancer is crucial as it is easier to treat, not only saving lives, but it will also mean thousands of patients will avoid life-changing treatments.”
Under the plans, people aged 55 to 74 years old who are believed to be at risk of lung cancer will be invited for a lung check-up and offered a scan if needed.
This may take place in a mobile clinic, such as one of the supermarket trucks, or a hospital.
The screening could help detect lung cancer, as well as conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The national roll-out follows successful trials in Manchester and Liverpool, and will initially run for four years.
