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.
