1 week Ago
A pair of giant inflatable lungs will be in Wrexham later this month. The Let’s Talk Lung Cancer roadshow from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation will be at Morrisons on Ruthin Road on Monday, November 18. The event, now in its third year, aims to raise awareness of lung cancer symptoms, encourage people to contact their GP practice if they experience any symptoms, and start much-needed conversations around the disease.
The charity wants to debunk the 'stigma that consumes the disease' and confront the country’s biggest cancer killer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in Wales. The event is part of the charity’s campaign, Let Go of the Labels, for lung cancer awareness month.
It calls for people to stop thinking about lung cancer in terms of smoking or non-smoking. Based on first-hand experiences from people who are living with the disease, the charity believes labels like smoker and non-smoker can distort what’s really going on and cause a delay in a person’s diagnosis. Joanne Peake from Cwmbran has incurable lung cancer but she has been left wondering if there was an opportunity to be diagnosed sooner.
She said: "Looking back, my symptoms may have started a couple of years before I was diagnosed. "It was actually back in 2018 when my breathing problems started but because I was still smoking, I just presumed it was because of that. "But I think this is part of the problem and why so many people with diagnosed with lung cancer are caught late; we either ignore symptoms or put them down to other reasons, especially if we have smoked.
" READ MORE: Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: "People with lung cancer are typically labelled in two ways – those that smoke and those that haven’t. "We believe labelling people in this way is denying many the chance of an earlier and potentially life-saving diagnosis. "Lung cancer is still so intrinsically linked to smoking and because of this, there remains a real stigma that consumes the disease and stops people from talking openly about it.
"That’s why these events are so important. "They give us the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with people who may not realise they are at risk, who may not recognise potential symptoms or may feel unable to act on them. "If we can help one person in Wrexham get diagnosed earlier, then that is worth doing.
" People who are diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late. The primary symptoms of lung cancer may include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, recurring chest infections, coughing up blood, pain or discomfort when breathing or coughing, ongoing breathlessness, constant fatigue or low energy levels, and a reduced appetite or unexplained weight loss. The Let’s Talk Lung Cancer roadshow will be at the Morrisons between 10am and 4pm.
Anyone concerned about symptoms or affected by lung cancer is urged to go attended and speak to the team..
