November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
Lung cancer is the UK’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 UK cancer deaths and one in seven (13%) of all new UK cancer cases.
Data shows that more women die from lung cancer compared to breast cancer and, despite being known as the ‘smoker’s disease’, there are at least 6,000 people who have never smoked die yearly from lung cancer. In the UK this disease is the eighth most common cause of cancer-related death.
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
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 England 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.
How can Nelsons help![Lung Cancer Awareness Month]()
Pooja Gadhia is a Paralegal in our expert Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
If you have been affected by a delay in diagnosis, or a loved one has suffered as a result of improper care then our team of medical negligence claims experts can help. For advice, please get in touch with Pooja or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
Contact us
The post Lung Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Nelsons.