LUNG cancer survivor Michael Edwards is backing a new campaign to persuade people who suspect they have the disease to get medical attention fast, to improve their chances of living longer.
Michael, aged 67, of Wombwell, Barnsley, was diagnosed with lung cancer six years ago. But, thanks to treatment at Barnsley Hospital, which included the removal of his right lung and part of his windpipe, Michael has overcome the disease and is livin
g life to the full.
Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer and accounts for 22 per cent of cancer deaths in the UK annually, and seven per cent of all deaths.
But sadly average survival is just five to six months from diagnosis, partly because patients leave it too late to get treatment.
By raising awareness Barnsley Hospital is aiming to encourage more people to come forward to receive a faster diagnosis.
Mr Edwards, a grandfather-of-two, told The Star: "Fear is why most people don't go to their GP, especially if they are smokers.
"If you smoke you should realise, as I have, that choices we make can affect us later in life.
"But there is life after lung cancer and I know it's better to go early and survive than go late and struggle."
Mr Edwards, who smoked up to 20 cigarettes a day from being a teenager, said: "The news came as a shock even though I smoked. You never think it's going to be you.
"But I'm very lucky and I know it's very important to get checked out early if you have symptoms."
Mr Edwards, who gave up smoking on the day he was diagnosed, has travelled the world with wife Sue, 64, since completing treatment. The couple now take six holidays a year and are determined to live life to the full.
In Barnsley around 200 patients are diagnosed with lung cancer every year. Most are smokers, but one in eight are not.
Patients are treated using chemotherapy and the hospital is one of only three places in the UK to offer a new method of diagnosis and, in some cases, treat lung cancer under local, rather than general anaesthetic.
Lung cancer nurses Alison Bennett and Cathy Patrick will have a stand in the Alhambra shopping centre on Wednesday November 25, to explain what the signs are, how to check for them, and what to do if you suspect you or a loved one has lung cancer.
What to look for:
- Chest infections that won't go away, even with antibiotics
- Having cough for more than three weeks
- Feeling more tired than usual
- More spit and phlegm, especially with blood in it
- Feeling very out of breath
- Losing your voice with no sore throat
- Chest pains
- Swelling in your neck or face
- Losing weight without a reason
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