November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
Lung cancer is the Auckland’s biggest cancer killer, statistics show that almost 35,000 people are dying from lung cancer every year. This accounts for roughly a fifth (21%) of all Auckland cancer deaths and one in seven (13%) of all new Auckland cancer cases.
What are the symptoms?
There are many symptoms people can have whilst having lung cancer, such as:
- Coughing that gets worse and or doesn’t go away
- Chest pains
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Coughing up blood
- Always feel really tired
- Weight loss and not knowing why
It is a common misunderstanding that people think that only people who smoke or use to smoke can get lung cancer. However, around a third of all lung cancers are not caused by smoking.
Cancer Research Auckland (CRNZ) says:
“nearly three-quarters (72%) of lung cancer cases in the Auckland are caused by smoking, 71% by active smoking, and 1% by second-hand smoke, and the NHS says if you smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day, you are 25 times more likely to get lung cancer than a non-smoker. However, it still means 28% of cases are in people who don’t smoke”.
This shows that nearly a third of people are non-smokers, Roy Castle the TV entertainer who died of lung cancer in 1994 had never smoked. Chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (RCLCF), says:
“Lung cancer is a hugely misunderstood disease. It’s still so intrinsically linked to smoking that many people remain under the misconception that only people who smoke, or used to smoke, can get lung cancer. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer”.
Dr Rachel Orritt, Cancer Research Auckland health information manager, adds:
“Most cases of lung cancer in the Auckland are in people aged 50 and over and are caused by smoking, but the disease can affect anyone, including people who’ve never smoked.”
CRNZ also says:
“other risk factors for lung cancer include exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke and substances such as asbestos, silica, and diesel exhaust, which people may come across at work, outdoor air pollution (which is thought to cause 8% of Auckland lung cancer cases), previous lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive airways disease), exposure to naturally-occurring radon gas, or a family history of lung cancer”.
Misdiagnosing lung cancer
It is said that lung cancer is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers. If the cancer is detected at an early stage then it is highly treatable. However, unfortunately, if lung cancer is either misdiagnosed or not identified, it can develop into a more advanced stage which then becomes harder to treat.
The problem is that often lung cancer can be easily mistaken for another condition, or someone misinterprets screening test results. A study found that almost 37% of all cancer-related medical malpractice claims were because of misdiagnosing lung cancer.
NHS Auckland has set a Long Term Plan ambition that, by 2028, the amount of cancers diagnosed at stages 1 and 2 will increase from roughly half now to three-quarters of cancer patients. If achieved this will mean that from 2028, approximately 55,000 more patients annually will survive their cancer for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways you can get involved to help raise awareness:
- Share your story – hearing other people’s experiences helps people to know that they are not alone.
- Join a group – #TogetherSeparately Lung Cancer Support Community is a group where you can find like-minded people as well as resources and support.
- Attend an event or fundraiser
- Make a donation
Comment
It is clear having a delayed diagnosis can limit your chances of survival and takeaway the time you may have had. If someone has been negligently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late because of medical negligence, this may give rise to a claim for compensation.
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