Spot lung cancer early - video transcript

Voiceover: Our lungs are amazing. They allow us to breathe, do exercise, talk and laugh without us even thinking about it. And we use them every second of our lives. So, do we look after our lungs?

Man: Yes I suppose I do in the sense that I don’t smoke and I exercise.

Woman: Me lungs? Yes.

Man: Yes.

Woman: Not always.

Woman: No, because I smoke.

Man: I do look after my lungs.

Man: Yes... Yes I do.

Man: Do I look after my lungs? Yes of course I do.

Dr Chris Steele: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world, but it’s one of the most preventable. Nine out of 10 cases are caused by smoking. But some people who have never smoked can get lung cancer too. Many people believe lung cancer can’t be treated. But it can. And the earlier the cancer is found, the more successful the treatment. Spotting cancer early is vital.

Voiceover: In this film, we’ll tell you about the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer and you’ll meet people who’ve had lung cancer and whose treatment has been a success. There are many common myths about lung cancer.

Woman: Myth - only cigarette smokers get lung cancer

Voiceover: Fact - around 1 in 10 cases of lung cancer occur in Non-smokers.

Woman: Myth - the earliest sign of lung cancer is coughing up blood

Voiceover: Fact - the first signs are often a persistent cough and shortness of breath

Man: Myth - lung cancer is a death sentence

Voiceover: Fact - new treatments have increased survival rates, but spotting cancer early is vital.

Dr Jesme Fox: By far the commonest cause of lung cancer is smoking. About nine in 10 cases of lung cancer is directly because of tobacco. And that’s not just because of people who smoke themselves but we know that historically, passive smoking also increases your risk of lung cancer. So if you have lived or worked with a smoker for long periods, you are at risk.

Alison Bennett: Although that is the biggest risk, nowadays we are seeing people who haven’t smoked developing lung cancer. Really, anyone can get lung cancer, so it is important that if you have any signs and symptoms associated with your chest, you do get it checked out.

Voiceover: Mike Edwards was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003.

Mike Edwards: I had smoked since I was 14, because all my mates were a lot older than me and of course, I used to smoke cigarettes with them. They didn’t know then it could cause problems later on in life.

Voiceover: Mike used to be a delivery driver in the food retail industry, covering the north of England.

Mike Edwards: We had a depot not far from where I lived. I’d been working in that depot and I went into toilets and I coughed and it didn’t feel right. For some reason I spat it in the sink. There were a little speck of blood in it. I didn’t ignore it but I didn’t panic about it but a couple of days after, the same thing happened again. I came home and called me wife and told her I’d been spitting blood. She contacted our doctor.

Chris Steele: There may be many signs of lung cancer, but they typically include a cough that persists for two or three weeks, or a worsening or changing of a long standing cough. Also, repeated chest infections, coughing up blood, or an unexplained persistent breathlessness, tiredness, lack of energy or weight loss or possibly even chest or shoulder pain. If you are displaying any of these symptoms, it doesn’t mean that you’ve got lung cancer. These symptoms can be caused by many other medical problems, like chest infections etc. But if you have any of those symptoms you must get to your GP. Because the earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better chance you stand of actually curing the condition.

Voiceover: Mike was referred by his GP for a chest X-ray. The test revealed a shadow on his lung and he was referred for another test - a bronchoscopy.

Mike Edwards: They put a little camera down into your lungs to see if there’s anything showing. After I’d had the bronchoscopy, they knew then that I had lung cancer. I saved my last cigarette and I smoked it on the way to the hospital and of course they told me that I had lung cancer. I haven’t had a cigarette since! If ever there was a shock that you needed to stop smoking, it’s being told that you’ve got lung cancer.

Voiceover: Mike was admitted to hospital to have one of his lungs removed. His prognosis was not good but six years one, he’s defied expectations and made a good recovery.

Mike Edwards: If you’ve got any signs at all, whether you smoke or not, if you’re coughing a lot or getting out of breath, you’re getting tired or not being able to do the things that you used to do, then go and see your doctor. If you go early enough, you’ve a good chance of surviving. If you don’t, you’ve a good chance of dying. And it’s no good dressing it up, those are the facts. Fear stops people doing what they should do, and that’s go and seeing your doctor.

Woman: Myth - if you smoke, it’s normal to have a cough.

Voiceover: Fact - persistent cough is telling you that there is something wrong.

Woman: Myth - Lung cancer is a male disease.

Voiceover: Fact - Lung cancer can affect anyone. Around 40% of lung cancer cases are in women.

Voiceover: Anne Long is a retired social worker. Her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977 and since then Anne has been aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease and the importance of going to the doctor early.

Anne Long: I was brushing my teeth one morning and I realised there was a tiny little spot. Soemtimes when you brush your teeth, your gums bleed. It wasn’t like that - it wasn’t fresh blood. There was a tiny wee spot in the middle of it. I realised that I’d seen it before and I thought, "That’s very odd, I don’t think that should be there."

Voiceover: Anne went to see her doctor, who sent her for a chest X-ray just to be on the safe side.

Anne Long: Lung cancer never crossed my mind. Any sort of cancer never crossed my mind because I was fit and healthy and just getting on with my life really.

Voiceover: Anne did the right thing by seeing her GP early, but in the UK people are often slow in coming forward.

Alison Bennett: I think a lot of people don’t see the GP because they’re quite worried that they may have lung cancer. Some people feel that if they do have lung cancer then there’s nothing we can do about it. Other people feel guilty because they have smoked and their GP might think that it is their fault and may be unsympathetic towards them.

Chris Steele: Some patients admit to feeling frightened. Well my goodness if you’re frightened that it could be something serious that’s the very reason to go to your doctor.

Alison Bennett: And also, people don’t always recognise the signs and symptoms of lung cancer so they’re not actually aware there could be a serious problem. They think if they’ve never smoked it can’t happen to them.

Chris Steele: Lung cancer can be diagnosed quite easily. Just the basic chest X-ray can reveal an awful lot. If the doctor sees something slightly abnormal on your chest X-ray - which is just like having a photograph taken, you don’t feel anything, there’s no discomfort - if there is a shadow and the doctor’s not too happy about that, you may be sent for a scan, another type of investigation that’s not painful or distressing at all.

Voiceover: Anne’s X-ray results revealed a shadow on her lung and she was sent for further tests. They confirmed she did have cancer.

Anne Long: I think I was probably numb. I said remembering back to a long time ago when my husband had it - he wasn’t well, he had no energy. I wasn’t like that at all. I did have to tell my children, which was the hardest thing to do because their father had died from lung cancer when they were little and I knew that would be very hard to tell them.

Voiceover: Treatment began immediately and Anne had surgery to remove half of her left lung. Because Anne was diagnosed early, the operation had a better chance of success and five years on, she leads an active life.

Anne Long: I think if anybody has any signs or symptoms at all that they are worried about, don’t worry. Just go to your doctor as quickly as possible. They won’t be cross with you, I’m sure I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t gone to my doctor. Being diagnosed with lung cancer is certainly not a death sentence. There’s so much that can be done, and there is life after cancer.

Woman: Myth - If you smoke, the damage is done, so there’s no point in giving up.

Voiceover: Fact - Giving up smoking helps those who already have lung cancer respond better to treatment.

Jesme Fox: It is always worth giving up smoking. It doesn’t matter how long you have smoked, it is always worth giving up because we know you cut down your risk of getting serious illness.

Alison Bennett: If you need help to give up smoking, you can always speak to your GP, or to the nurse in the surgery. You could also contact your pharmacist or call the free NHS helpline.

Jesme Fox: Anyone can get lung cancer. Yes, smoking is by far the most common cause but we know that around 10% of lung cancer is nothing to do with smoking. So it is important that anyone who has any symptoms or any problems with their chest gets checked out.

Voiceover: Anne and Mike’s stories show that lung cancer is treatable but it’s vital to spot lung cancer early so that the treatment has a better chance of success. If you have any of these symptoms, then book an appointment to see your doctor and if the symptoms persist, keep going back.

Robert Powell: My father died of lung cancer 20 years ago. And it is an appalling disease. I know that from first hand. So if you’re not feeling very well, go and do something about it. Talk to your doctor. Find out what’s wrong with you. You know when you’re ill, you know when things are not quite right. Do something. Because these days with the advances of modern medicine, there is every chance that if you get there early enough, something can be done.