Telling someone they they have Lung Cancer is one of the hardest parts of my job. The diagnosis is met with a huge range of emotions: sadness, anger, despair and in some cases relief, as finally there is an explanation for their symptoms.

In 2017, in a twist of fate, I found myself on the opposite side of the desk, receiving a diagnosis of cancer. Those few words caused my world to fall apart. But with the help of my Breast Cancer team and the love and support of my family and friends, I have put it back together again and feel fortunate that I am one of the lucky ones, I am a cancer survivor

My own experience made me realise how different patients with lung cancer are treated when compared with other cancers. Lung cancer presents late as the symptoms are often not recognised as being associated with cancer. When the diagnosis of cancer is made late, it is advanced and there is little that can be offered apart from palliative and supportive care. There is also the misconception that patients with lung cancer have themselves to blame as they are, or have been smokers. Whilst it is now widely known that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, a significant proportion of patients were unaware of the dangers of cigarettes when they smoked or have never smoked. The number of cases of lung cancer we are diagnosing in non- smokers is rising, particularly in younger females. In the UK, more female patients die of lung cancer than Breast and Ovarian Cancer put together.

I am honoured and humbled to be running my first ever Marathon in London for The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. They are an outstanding charity who have provided advice and support to my patients and everyone affected by lung cancer, as well as funding essential lung cancer research, particularly early detection.

Thank you for your generosity.

“This is not for me, this is for our children and our children’s children” Roy Castle