Irish Cancer Society calls for national lung cancer screening programme

Lung Health Check pilot detects early cancers and saves lives 

Monday, 9 November 2026: This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the Irish Cancer Society is calling for the development of a national lung cancer screening programme following the success of an innovative pilot Lung Health Check programme.

The Lung Health Check is a pioneering initiative led by the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre and funded by the Irish Cancer Society.

Launched in 2025, it has already detected almost 40 lung cancers, where no symptoms were present, with 80% of these cancers identified at stage 1. Many of these lung cancer patients have had lifesaving curative treatment.

Currently, 6 in every 10 lung cancer diagnoses are only detected at a late stage, when it is harder to treat.

People whose cancer was caught early by the Lung Health Check pilot, are sharing their experience for Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Con Shanahan, 73, who had no symptoms, was invited to take part in Lung Health Check due to a previous history of smoking and pneumonia.

Commenting on his decision to attend the Beaumont RCSI Irish Cancer Society Lung Health Check mobile unit, Con said: “The woman on the phone from Lung Health Check invited me to come to the mobile unit to get a scan, and I remember asking her, ‘Are you sure it’s necessary? She said it could be worth my while.” 

After his scan, Con was referred to Beaumont Hospital for further tests. In December 2025, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. 

Speaking about the common perception of lung cancer, Con said: “To my generation the words ‘lung cancer’ always meant death. When I was younger and I heard lung cancer mentioned, I’d think, ‘How long have they got?’ It was feared; we spoke about it in whispers.” 

On the 29th of January 2026, Con had surgery to remove the top lobe of his right lung, where the cancer was located. Seven months later, he had a CT scan that confirmed the surgery was a success, he was cancer free and needed no further treatment. 

Con concluded: “The word ‘cured’ wasn’t in my vocabulary with lung cancer, but I’m living proof that it is possible to be cured of it, if it’s caught early. I’m really grateful that my cancer was detected early through the Lung Health Check.” 

Nikki Gallagher, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, said: “We are calling for the development of a free national lung screening programme for people at high risk of getting lung cancer. 

“It is so important we don’t lose the momentum of this successful Lung Health Check pilot. Con’s story is a good example of how early detection can save lives. 

“The Lung Health Check pilot demonstrates that community-based screening works. Bringing cutting edge technology to accessible settings, in this case local GAA clubs, has ensured very high participation rates. It also shows that high-quality screening can be done cost-effectively in the community, and it offers the State a model for a value-for-money approach. 

“As well as ensuring higher survival rates and better outcomes for patients, it also saves the State in the long run to treat all cancers, but especially lung, at the earliest possible stage.  

“The Irish Cancer Society, as the largest non-State funder of cancer research in Ireland, is very proud to have invested almost €5 million in the Lung Health Check pilot. We want to see the momentum of this successful pilot carried through into a national screening programme which will save lives.” 

Professor Daniel Ryan, Respiratory Consultant at the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre and Clinical Lead of the Lung Health Check pilot, said: "To date, we have diagnosed almost 40 lung cancers through Lung Health Check, with 80% of these cancers identified at the earliest stage.  

"These patients have gone on to have lifesaving curative treatment. Our cancer detection rates and outcomes are comparable with anywhere in the world in this screened population. 

"We are now halfway through our second round of screening where participants return a year later for a repeat scan. The response has been really positive with over 98% participants attending. This shows again that there is a both a high demand and significant trust in the pilot programme being provided." 

Professor Jarushka Naidoo, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Lung Cancer Research Lead of the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre and Principal Investigator of the Lung Health Check Pilot, added:

“The Lung Health Check pilot was run as clinical trial with core funding from the Irish Cancer Society, and also supported and funded by the European Union EU4Health SOLACE consortium, a group of 10 EU member states, aimed at Strengthening the Screening of Lung Cancer in Europe. Building on the success of the Irish Lung Health Check pilot, the team at Beaumont RCSI was successful in obtaining continued funding for the research portion of Lung Cancer Screening, through the EU-funded SOLACE+ programme.

Now, more than ever, Ireland needs to build on our contributions at a European level, by bringing lung cancer screening to all those who may benefit in Ireland through a national screening programme.”

ENDS