According to Cancer Research UK, a staggering 48,500 new cases of lung cancer are reported each year, with lung cancer being the most prevalent cause of cancer death in the UK. This National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we can act to help prevent, cure, and treat lung disease and ensure that ‘one day everyone breathes clean air with healthy lungs’. (British Lung Foundation, n.d.)

 

After a harrowing year of lockdowns, isolation and a pandemic that stripped away so much of our normal pre-Covid lives, maintaining optimal lung health is proving to be increasingly important. However, with surging pressure on the NHS, more than 30% of patients suffering from lung conditions felt the need to delay or cancel appointments in order to avoid being a ‘burden’ to the NHS. (British Lung Foundation - Taskforce for Lung Health, n.d.)

 

National Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a movement that promotes early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer by encouraging people to speak to their GPs if experiencing any symptoms. Although there are campaigns to increase awareness and a greater number of people are reporting symptoms, it is important that we continue to support charities such as the British Lung Foundation and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to ensure that people who may have lung cancer receive the care and support that they need.

 

What can we do to help?

 

From campaigning to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, to running fundraisers and bake-sales, there are a large number of things we can do to help raise Lung Cancer awareness this November.

 

You could:

 

Run a coffee and cake sale at your school or workplace to liven up everyone’s day and in the process change a lung-cancer patient’s life

 

Play your part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down car use or meat consumption, therefore helping to increase air quality across the globe

 

Educate people on the dangers of active and passive smoking and how to reduce exposure to carcinogenic substances

 

Donate to the British Lung Foundation via the link below:

 

https://donate.blf.org.uk/page/69325/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=GeneralAsk_Main_Single_Redirect_website&_ga=2.175178725.656815886.1637602810-189881575.1637602810

 

For more ideas on how to help out this National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, visit the British Lung Foundation website below:

 

https://www.blf.org.uk/take-action

 

References

British Lung Foundation - Taskforce for Lung Health, n.d. Taskforce for Lung Health. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.blf.org.uk/taskforce/press-release/over-a-third-of-people-with-lung-conditions-felt-pressure-to-avoid-or-delay-seeking-treatment
[Accessed 22 11 2021].

British Lung Foundation, n.d. British Lung Foundation. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.blf.org.uk/what-we-do
[Accessed 22 11 2021].