People with symptoms including a long-standing persistent cough are being encouraged visit their GP for potentially lifesaving checks for the country's deadliest cancer. Catching lung cancer earlier makes it easier to treat, says the NHS as it launches a new campaign to ensure people make an appointment.
Figures suggest that people at risk of lung cancer may not be coming forward for care despite it being the biggest cause of cancer deaths in England, according to the NHS. While most other cancer referrals quickly returned to pre-pandemic levels after the first wave of covid-19, lung cancer referrals only returned to pre-pandemic levels in May 2022.
Cancer health chiefs are warning the public to go to their GP if they have had a persistent cough for longer than three weeks or notice other symptoms like coughing up blood or persistent breathlessness. Around 40,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed every year, with the NHS expanding its targeted lung health check programme to ensure it reaches out and screens those most at risk of the cancer.
The deadliest cancer in England
Lung cancer is one of the most serious type of cancers and last year was the fifth biggest cause of death in England accounting for 26,410 deaths. After national awareness campaigns and early diagnosis initiatives, one in every four GP referrals are now for suspected cancer – with the NHS seeing record numbers of people getting checked for cancer over the last year, as more than 5.3 million people were referred between June 2021 and May 2022, and over 670,000 since March 2020 starting treatment.
Symptoms
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms of lung cancer develop as the condition progresses.
The main symptoms of lung cancer include, according to the NHS:
- a cough that doesn’t go away after 2 or 3 weeks
- a long-standing cough that gets worse
- chest infections that keep coming back
- coughing up blood
- an ache or pain when breathing or coughing
- persistent breathlessness
- persistent tiredness or lack of energy
- loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
If you have any of these, you should see a GP.
Less common symptoms of lung cancer include:
- changes in the appearance of your fingers, such as becoming more curved or their ends becoming larger (this is known as finger clubbing)
- difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or pain when swallowing
- wheezing
- a hoarse voice
- swelling of your face or neck
- persistent chest or shoulder pain
Targeting people who are more reluctant to get help
The latest NHS campaign, named 'Help Us Help You', will 'target the groups of people most at risk including over 60s, as well as people from more working-class backgrounds who are often more reluctant to visit their GP', which is critical to getting an early diagnosis.
Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “We are going further and faster in our efforts to tackle cancer and have seen record numbers of people coming forward for tests and checks in the last year thanks to our campaigns and early diagnosis initiatives, but for lung cancer, we have not seen referrals bounce back at the same rate as other cancers.
“It is vital that people stay alert against suspected lung cancer symptoms, so if you have a continuous cough or breathlessness, don’t ignore or assume it’s something else, please visit your GP and get it checked out – it probably won’t be cancer but catching it early can help save lives.”
“We know for a fact most people who get diagnosed with lung cancer early go on to survive so it is imperative that people are aware of the symptoms and come forward as quickly as possible," added Cally Palmer, NHS England National Cancer Director.
“The NHS is here to help and our services are open so people should not hesitate to come forward if they notice potential lung cancer symptoms.”
Treatments
Earlier this year, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard announced a revolutionary drug, atezolizumab, for lung cancer patients which helps reduce the chance of lung cancer reappearing or death by 34 per cent.
The NHS this year also secured access to durvalumab, which can help double how long somebody can survive an aggressive form of lung cancer, as well as, mobocertinib, which will help hundreds of patients tackle a rare form of lung cancer which can’t be removed by surgery.
The NHS is also working with a leading lung cancer charity – the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to run local awareness raising campaigns, as well as working with the foundation to rapidly expand the Targeted Lung Health Checks programme which screens people at risk of developing lung cancer.
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. It is always best to check because if it is lung cancer, catching it early can make all the difference.”
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