The NHS has launched a new awareness campaign urging patients to visit their GP if they have symptoms that could be a sign of lung cancer.
The initiative comes after recent figures suggested that people at risk of lung cancer may not be coming forward, as referrals failed to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels at the same rate as other cancers. The NHS describes lung cancer as “England’s most deadly cancer”, with around 40,000 cases diagnosed every year and accounting for 26,410 deaths in 2021.
The latest Help Us Help You campaign was launched on World Lung Cancer Day to encourage people with symptoms to get them checked out. Symptoms include a persistent cough or breathlessness, coughing up blood, an ache or pain when breathing or coughing, and unexplained tiredness and weight loss.
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The campaign will target people most at risk, including over-60s and people from working-class backgrounds who may be more reluctant to visit their GP, the NHS said. Lung cancer is rare in people younger than 40, and more than four in 10 people diagnosed are aged 75 or older.
Professor Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: "It is absolutely vital that if you are experiencing symptoms like a persistent cough or shortness of breath that you take action and contact your GP team.
"Don’t put it off. Don’t presume it’s nothing to worry about. Don’t worry about bothering your doctors," Professor Chadwick added. "It is always best to check because if it is lung cancer, catching it early can make all the difference."
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