CLOSER NEWS REPORT
A new campaign during Lung Cancer Awareness Month aims to dispel the myth that it only affects male smokers and urges women to watch out for symptoms
When Natasha Loveridge developed a husky voice, she thought it was funny and even did impressions of rock singer Bonnie Tyler for friends. It never occurred to her that anything was seriously wrong as 48-year-old Natasha was a non-smoker, who regularly enjoyed yoga, mountain-biking and hiking.
Natasha, who lives in Leeds, says, “I wasn’t worried about the change in my voice or the squeaking sound when I breathed in. I only went to the doctor because my friends badgered me to go after I developed a cough.”
Initially, Natasha was diagnosed with a lung infection because she was young and a non-smoker. Then, six months later, following a raft of tests, she finally got a diagnosis last December.
“When I was told I had lung cancer I was completely shocked,” Natasha remembers. “I was young and I don’t smoke. How could it happen to me? I thought lung cancer only affected old men and heavy smokers. I associated it with the pictures of damaged lungs you see on cigarette packs.”
It is misconceptions like this which are preventing women and non-smokers from being diagnosed with lung cancer. In fact, the deadly disease is rising in women and is expected to overtake men for the first time this year. The condition, which often progresses to a later stage before it is caught, kills more women every year than breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
MISCONCEPTIONS
This month, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has launched its Be Unforgettable campaign, tackling misconceptions about the disease, including the assumption that it mostly affects men. The charity, which funds research and provides practical and emotional support to people with lung cancer, is campaigning to raise awareness of the conditions and symptoms. It also wants to reassure people that even those with an incurable diagnosis could live fulfilled lives thanks to new treatments.
Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, tells Closer, “It’s likely that more women are getting lung cancer than men now because of trends in smoking. In the ’70s men started to quit smoking but more women were taking up the habit. It’s important women know they are at just as much risk as men. There needs to be more widespread lung screening and awareness of the different lung cancer symptoms.
“When lung cancer is caught early it’s easier to treat. We know people who remain cancer-free decades after their diagnosis. Advancements in treatment mean more people with incurable lung cancer are living well and living longer after diagnosis than ever before.
