Paula Chadwick
Chief Executive, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
As we continue the fight to recover from the impact of COVID, one thing remains clearer than ever – our desperate need for a national lung cancer screening programme.
A month after lung cancer surgery, Tracy went on holiday to Fuerteventura. This may sound like the start of a fairy tale, but it is not fiction; Tracy’s story shows how quickly people can recover from lung cancer when it is found early.
Tracy was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 after suffering from two chest infections in short succession. Recognising this was unusual for her, the GP sent her for an X-ray which led to her early diagnosis. That is the morale of the story; the earlier lung cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat. The difficulty is catching it early.
We have seen the devastation that delay has on lung cancer and we cannot wait any longer, we need screening and we need it now.
Impact on progress
COVID has set lung cancer back decades. Speaking to the Health and Social Care Committee earlier this month, Professor David Baldwin, says: “No. 10’s guidance has discouraged people with a hallmark symptom of the disease from seeking medical help.”
As a result, the Lung Cancer Clinical Expert Group chair likened the situation to that of “25 years ago, with late-stage disease, horrible presentations, all sorts of things that we’d actually forgotten about because we’d made so much progress on the early diagnoses pathway.”
Road to recovery
The relaunch of targeted lung health checks is imperative in the recovery of lung cancer. People aged 55-74 in selected areas of England who have ever smoked are being invited for a check-up. We urge them to take up the opportunity.
However, what is desperately needed, and what we continue to campaign for, is a national lung cancer screening programme. A way to finally get ahead of the disease and diagnose people at the earliest stage before symptoms even start to show.
We have seen the devastation that delay has on lung cancer and we cannot wait any longer, we need screening and we need it now. Until then, we need people to spot any differences in their health such as a persistent cough, breathlessness, fatigue, weight loss or repeat chest infections like Tracy. Push to see a GP, push for a referral and give yourself the chance to live happily ever after.
