Bowel cancer: Dr Amir explains symptoms to look out for
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Symptoms of lung cancer include:
• Coughing up blood
• A persistent cough
• Persistent breathlessness
• Unexplained tiredness and weight loss
• An ache or pain when breathing or coughing.
The NHS says a person should see their GP if they have any of these symptoms.
Several risk factors can increase a person’s likelihood of developing lung cancer.
The most significant risk factor for lung cancer is smoking.
The carcinogenic habit is responsible for more than 70 percent of cases.
Tobacco smoke is the main culprit, containing more than 60 different toxic substances known to be carcinogenic.
Other risk factors include passive smoking, exposure to radon, occupational exposure, and pollution.
Meanwhile, a new scheme has been launched by the NHS to try and identify new cases of lung cancer.
Most recently, the NHS has been sending lorries equipped with diagnostic equipment into communities with high rates of lung cancer.
These lorries have been positioned in places of high community density, such as supermarkets.
The programme, that costs around £70 million, invites people aged between 55 and 74 at increased risk for an assessment.
Should it be necessary, they can be given a chest scan on the spot.
The service has made areas with high death rates from lung disease its focus.
NHS clinical director, Professor Peter Johnston, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and when more people are referred for tests, which is why the NHS has put so much effort into early diagnosis in recent years.
“We know that some people had concerns seeking help during the pandemic, but if you do have a worrying symptom or have been coughing for three weeks or more, please do contact your GP and get checked out.”
Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: “This community scheme is exactly what we need to ensure hundreds of people get an earlier diagnosis, allowing them to get the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
More than 75 percent of cancers caught through the scheme have been found at stages one and two.
This is crucial as people diagnosed with lung cancer at its earliest stage are more than 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those for whom it is diagnosed later, NHS England noted.
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