The SUMMIT Study

We are working to reduce the number of people who die from lung cancer by detecting it at an early stage when it can be treated more successfully.

Programme leader: Professor Sam Janes

Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other cancer. This is largely due to the late presentation of symptoms of the disease, usually once it is more advanced and therefore treatment options are limited. Evidence from large US and European studies have shown that Low Dose CT (LDCT) screening in asymptomatic people at risk of lung cancer reduces lung cancer mortality. This is because it detects cancers at an early stage when more successful and often curative treatments can be given.

The SUMMIT study is a prospective cohort study which aims to recruit 25,000 individuals. The study is a collaboration between University College London (UCL), University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and GRAIL inc. a US healthcare company. The study is funded by GRAIL inc. who are developing the blood test.

We identify people for the study from their GP records based on their age and smoking history. If they are interested in taking part, they telephone the study team and answer a series of questions to further assess their risk of lung cancer. If eligible they attend for a lung health check where a health care professional takes a more detailed personal and family history along with some clinical measurements. If eligible based on validated risk scores people are enrolled in the study and have an LDCT, provide a blood sample and complete a study questionnaire. They return on an annual basis for two further visits, or more frequently if needed based on their results. If lung cancer is detected people are referred to their local hospital for further tests and treatment. The lung health check also provides an opportunity for smoking cessation advice to be given where appropriate.   

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03934866