Can lung cancer screening programmes be sustainable? New lay summary published from SOLACE

A current review has discussed how to make lung cancer screening programmes sustainable – not only in terms of costs but also in how to protect the environment and be accessible to all groups of people.  

Background 

The article, written by a group of European experts from different areas of healthcare, presents the ‘Strengthening the screening of Lung Cancer in Europe’ (SOLACE) project. This project is designed to support European nations in the development and introduction of lung cancer screening programmes at the national scale.  

What do the authors recommend?  

For ‘sustainable’ lung cancer screening the authors propose: 

Environmental protection (ecological sustainability): 

• Reducing energy use, emissions, and waste in screening facilities. 
• Using energy-efficient CT scanners and smart systems to reduce unnecessary power consumption
• Incorporating eco-friendly practices like refurbishing equipment or using renewable energy.

Accessibility for all groups of people (social sustainability): 

• Ensuring everyone, including people in rural areas, low-income communities, and ethnic minorities, can access screening.
• Using mobile CT units, community outreach, and trained local “ambassadors” to reach underserved populations.
• Providing health education and smoking cessation support alongside screening. 

Long term financial feasibility (economic sustainability): 

• Keeping costs manageable for public healthcare systems. 
• Using risk-based strategies to target those who will benefit the most. 
• Planning capacity (like enough scanners and trained staff) so that the system can handle future demand without breaking budgets. 

What are the next steps?  

The SOLACE project has tested and implemented these ideas across Europe, serving as a model for other countries. Lung cancer screening can and should be designed in a way that is fair, environmentally responsible and financially viable for the long term. Learn more about lung cancer screening in our Knowledge Hub. 

The SOLACE project was co-funded 768 under the EU4Health Programme 2021–2027 under grant agreement no. 101101187.  

Read the full paper: Strategies for sustainable lung cancer screening: a multi-faceted perspective to long-term surveillance in SOLACE