Chair of the Irish Lung Cancer Community (ILCC), Ennis man, Seamus Cotter has said he is delighted to see the Lung Health Check programme get underway at Croke Park on Tuesday of this week.
The first pilot screening programme of its kind for lung cancer has been rolled out in the north east of the country, and doctors believe it could help detect around 100 lung cancers. Using mobile scanning units, it will be based in local GAA clubs including Croke Park bringing convenient screening to community locations.
The pilot lung cancer clinical trial is part of a ground-breaking €4.9m lung cancer research programme funded by the Irish Cancer Society and Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, and is expected to drive improvements in the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
People in the region who may be at risk or have a particular family history, will be invited to attend for a CT scan.
Mr Cotter, a lung cancer survivor, was one of two patient advocates who represented the ILCC as part of the steering committee of the Lung Health Check.
“I’m delighted to be playing an important part within the steering committee of the Lung Health Check. Two years of discussions and meetings have got us to this stage, we are now looking forward to a better future for people who are impacted by lung cancer,” he said.
The ILCC in a statement said it is delighted to see the Lung Health Check Programme get underway, saying:
“This mobile screening programme is being piloted in communities in north Dublin and the north east and will focus on high-risk individuals.
“The initiative is part of the €4.9 million Beaumont RCSI Irish Cancer Society Lung Outreach Programme, the largest single investment in lung cancer in Ireland’s history. It is a great step forward to increase early diagnosis and reduce lung cancer mortality rates in Ireland.”
Praising all involved, the patient-led advocacy group also emphasised it will be calling on the government and the medical establishment to implement a national lung health programme nationwide as soon as this pilot delivers its results.
Speaking to The Clare Champion in December 2024, Mr Cotter said that following the pilot programme in the north east, he would be hopeful a paper will then be presented which will result in another region getting the green light for a trail. Ultimately, the goal is for government to roll out a national programme, he said.
Early detection of lung cancer is crucial to improving survival rates, and this initiative is designed to identify lung cancer before symptoms appear.
Lung cancer does not always cause obvious symptoms, and 60% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, but some people may experience symptoms at an earlier stage of the disease. Symptoms include a persistent cough, breathlessness, coughing up blood or phlegm with blood in it, chest pain especially with coughing or deep breaths, recurrent chest infections, and difficulty in swallowing.
Other signs of illness include a loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, unexplained bone pain, and general fatigue or tiredness.
In terms of risk factors, although smoking is the leading risk factor, up to a quarter of cases occur in people who have never smoked.
The most common risk factors are smoking, passive smoking, exposure to asbestos, radon gas and other chemicals during work, genetic predisposition, diesel fumes, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and a family history of lung cancer.
Sharon Dolan D’Arcy covers West Clare news. After completing a masters in journalism at University of Galway, Sharon worked as a court reporter at the Sligo Weekender. She was also editor of the Athenry News and Views.