Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial

Every year, around 150 people in Leeds are diagnosed with kidney cancer. In many cases, there are no obvious symptoms of kidney cancer at first. Around 6 in 10 kidney cancers are only diagnosed during tests for another condition or reason. The Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial is investigating whether an extra scan for kidney cancer can be effectively introduced to mobile lung screening programmes.

The Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial is investigating whether an extra scan for kidney cancer can be effectively introduced to mobile lung screening programmes. People taking part in the Leeds Lung Health Check are offered the opportunity to have an additional 10-second CT scan to check the kidneys while they are on the mobile unit. The checks are available to those who are returning for a follow-up scan of the lungs two years after their first screening. Those taking part in the Leeds Lung Health Check are people aged 55-80 who smoke or used to smoke, as they are at the highest risk of developing lung cancer. People in this group also have a high risk of developing kidney cancer.

The Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial is the first in the world to test if kidney screening is possible in this healthcare setting, and whether people are likely to take up the offer of the extra scan.

The trial was developed by Yorkshire Cancer Research, in partnership with kidney cancer experts at the University of Cambridge, after several people taking part in the Leeds Lung Health Check were found to have kidney cancer. These cancers were found because lung scans can sometimes include the top part of the kidney. The additional scans will look at the whole kidney, leading to a better chance of kidney cancer being found.

People with kidney cancer are often diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are more limited.

Screening people before they experience any symptoms means cancer can be found at a very early stage – often allowing patients to receive life-saving treatment.

This study is important because it will help establish whether kidney screening works alongside lung health check programmes by addressing uncertainties and testing the clinical rationale and logistics required. If successful, it could lead to a larger scale clinical trial.

Read the academic trial summary