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Charity donates £150,000 to lung cancer research 28 minutes ago Courtney Sargent Guernsey Victoria Goss Dr Victoria Goss said researchers were trying to find new ways to screen for disease, plus trying to improve accessibility to clinical research.
A Guernsey trust has donated £150,000 for research into lung cancer diagnosis research at the University of Southampton. The money from the Jon Moulton Charity Trust will help assess whether people who have not responded to NHS requests to go for a lung cancer screening would instead return a urine sample which could be used to test for cancer.
Dr Victoria Goss from the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU), said: "Earlier diagnosis can improve outcomes for patients, but detecting lung cancer at its earliest stages can be difficult, as symptoms can be vague."
Jon Moulton said: "We are pleased to support this study, which could help more people access important screening for lung cancer."
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with more than 50,000 people diagnosed each year. Almost 70% of cases are diagnosed at a later stage when the chances of successful treatment were much lower. Early diagnosis would be a key focus for a new institute at the university, staff said.
A screening programme was launched by NHS England in 2019, inviting people aged 55 to 74 with a history of smoking to take part. Goss, associate professor of early diagnosis and translational research, said: "The lung cancer screening programme has transformed the detection of lung cancer in those attending, but not everyone takes part. This may be because they cannot get to the mobile unit, are fearful of the scan, or simply do not have the time."
Therefore, we need alternative, more accessible screening methods which complement the current programme to help spot the early signs of the disease in people who are at a high risk for this cancer."
Katherine de Retuerto, who leads the philanthropy team at the University of Southampton, said: "We've been very fortunate to have received fantastic support from people in Guernsey and we are proud to have such a committed and longstanding relationship with the island. The funding from the Jon Moulton Charity Trust is a testament to that relationship and the trust people place in Southampton's research."
Source: BBC
