LHUK/0213/v1
Head office
LungHealth UK
1 The Mill
Copley Hill Business Park
Cambridge Road
Cambridge
CB22 3GN
0845 450 5607
www.LungHealthUK.com
info@LungHealthUK.com
Appointment
• Do not smoke
• See a specialist about a persistent
cough, especially if blood is present
• Be aware of fatigue, weight loss
and/or loss of appetite in the
presence of any chest symptoms
• New persistent pain in the chest
should be checked
Remember: The prognosis for lung cancer
can only be significantly improved by
early detection, giving a higher likelihood
of a good outcome from appropriate
treatment.
Call 0800 085 0228
between 09.00 and 16.30
Clinics - Locations
Please visit our website www.LungHealthUK.com/clinics for an
up to date list of clinic locations and directions.
LungHealth UK is the leading provider of lung cancer early
detection services and offers the best clinical diagnostic services
available which are designed to detect lung cancer at an early stage
allowing greater opportunity for successful treatment. However, as
no cancer screening test is 100% effective, this may not always be
the case. If your results are abnormal you may be eligible for
referral to a NHS clinic via your GP, or to a thoracic consultant at
one of our private clinics throughout the UK. This may be funded
by either self-pay or private medical insurance. LungCheck is
available to both men and women over the age of 40. Please visit
www.LungHealthUK.com for more information and advice.
You can stay up-to-date with the latest Lung Health news
on www.facebook.com/LungHealthAdvice
LungHealt h
UK
My Lung Health
My Lung Health
Facts about lung cancer
Over 41,000 men and women are diagnosed with lung cancer
every year making it the second most common cancer in the
UK after breast and non-melanoma (skin cancer). It is clear that
many people do not know about this and with the only NHS
screening programme being within research protocols and the
likelihood that these may not be in your locality, there is a real
need for education and awareness. The prognosis for lung
cancer is entirely dependent upon the stage at which it is
diagnosed. With vigilance, diagnosis before obvious symptoms
develop is possible. Early detection helps increase the chances
of identifying lung cancer sooner, thereby improving survival
rates.
When men and women have lung cancer, the cells in the lungs
do not grow normally, but instead form lumps (also known as
tumours). They divide rapidly and regain the ability to escape
from the lung and move to other areas of the body. Rapid cell
division gives rise to a lump which eventually becomes visible.
This is what will be seen on a chest x-ray and requires biopsy for
identification. At any time during the expansion of the lump some
cells can break away and escape to other organs. These other
sites of tumour are referred to as metastases. The ideal
treatment for lung cancer is that it should be completed before
these metastases will occur. It is known that smokers and exsmokers have a significant risk of developing lung cancer.
However, others who have never smoked are also at risk of
developing it. See below:
Lungs and how they work
The lungs are a part of the body system that we use to breathe.
This is called the respiratory system. It is made up of:
• Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths
in men and women in the UK
• Lung cancer kills 35,000 men and women every year
• Nose and mouth
• Windpipe (trachea)
• Airways to each lung (the right main bronchus and left
main bronchus)
• The lungs
What can cause lung cancer
• 86% of lung cancers are caused by smoking
• The more one smokes the higher the risk but it is the length of
time one has been smoking that is most important
• If you have a mother or father with lung cancer your risk
of getting lung cancer is increased by 51%
Windpipe (trachea)
• Pollution and exposure to chemicals such as asbestos, fumes,
herbicides are known to increase the risk of lung cancer
Right upper lobe
• A further significant cause of lung cancer, high radon
exposure, is found in areas with high granite rock in areas
of habitation
Right bronchus
What are the symptoms
Right middle lobe
Left lower lobe
The lungs bring oxygen into our bodies and pass it into the
bloodstream so that it can circulate to every body cell. We use
the muscles of our chest and a large flat muscle under the
lungs (the diaphragm – pronounced di-a-fram) to draw air into
the lungs. The diaphragm is at the base of the chest cavity, just
above the stomach. The chest cavity is sealed so that when
you breathe in and the muscles make it bigger, this creates a
vacuum inside, which draws air in through your nose and down
into the lungs.
There are lots of reasons why you might have some of the
symptoms below. Most commonly it will be nothing serious but
it is important to get yourself checked. If you have had any of the
following symptoms for more than three weeks, make an
appointment with your GP today.
• A persistent cough that’s worsening
• Coughing blood
• A persistent cough attributed to a chest infection
• Unexplained breathlessness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Chest and/or shoulder pains
• Unexplained tiredness or lack of energy
• Hoarse voice
If your screening identifies abnormal results or
shows you to be at high risk.
You will be referred to a consultant oncologist for further
investigations which may include:
• CT scan; a CT (computerised axial tomography) scan
produces cross sectional images of the body at 2mm
distance. The images are developed by the computer
within the scanner. The scan will demonstrate the area
where the cancer is.
• Bronchoscopy; this test looks at the inside of the airways.
Your doctor passes the bronchoscope through your mouth
under local anaesthetic and sedation. This instrument
allows very clear examination of the inside of the airways
for a long distance into the lung.
• Biopsy; pieces of tissue can be obtained by passing a
needle through the chest wall under guidance with the CT
scan and through the wall of the bronchus via the
bronchoscope. The objective is to gather tissue for
examination under a microscope.