A new NHS England campaign is urging people to see their GP earlier if they start showing potential lung cancer symptoms. Figures show that lung cancer is the fifth biggest cause of death in England with over 26,410 deaths last year.
Symptoms of the deadly disease include a persistent cough for longer than three weeks, coughing up blood or long-term breathlessness. The NHS campaign which has been launched on World Cancer Day is hoping to target those who are most vulnerable to lung cancer including the over 60s and those from working-class backgrounds who might be reluctant to visit their GP.
Figures for lung cancer diagnosis show that most cancer referrals returned to pre-pandemic levels after the first Covid-wave while lung cancer referrals only returned to normal levels from May 2022.
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”.
Cally Palmer, NHS England National Cancer Director said: “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.
“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”.
There are around 40,000 cases of lung cancer diagnosed each year and the NHS has expanded its lung health check program to ensure those most at risk are screened faster.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard announced that the NHS made a revolutionary drug (Atezolizumab) available for lung cancer patients last year which may help reduce cancer reappearing or death by 34 percent. There are other drugs such as Durvalumab which can double a person's survival rate even if the cancer is aggressive.
Tracy Bourne, 59, from Stoke-on-Trent developed a cough around Christmas 2018, but she didn’t think to visit her GP until later March 2019 after she suffered with a bad chest. She then mentioned her cough and was referred for an X-ray that same day.
The X-ray picked up a shadow on Tracy’s right lung and she was immediately referred for further scans. She was diagnosed with lung cancer just weeks later and was told that she may have had the tumour for eight years. Tracy had undergone surgery to remove part of her lung and just a month later she received the all-clear and celebrated with a holiday abroad.
Tracy said: “I just thought it was a chest infection and, even though I was being sent for scans, I kept putting off the thought it was lung cancer because I have never smoked in my life."
“It just goes to show how important it is to get help if something isn’t right. To anyone else to is experiencing a cough that hasn’t gone away, I would really encourage you to contact a medical professional and get yourself checked out. I am just so grateful to that GP who realised that my cough might have been more than an infection and sent me for the initial X-ray. Without a doubt, it saved my life”.
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