As we come to the end of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Kenneth Lees, Head of Medical Negligence at O’Donnell Solicitors, reflects on the benefits of greater awareness of the disease in helping to prevent misdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis of lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Awareness Month takes place every November and represents a collective effort to increase awareness of the challenges surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
What is lung cancer?
According to Macmillan, lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, and about 47,000 people are diagnosed with it each year. One in sixteen people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. Lung cancer is reported to affect older people in that it is rare in people under the age of 40, and more than 40% of diagnoses involve people older than 75. Whilst people who have never smoked can develop lung cancer, smoking is the most common cause,e accounting for more than 70% of diagnoses.
Outcomes are significantly improved with early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Sharing information about the common signs and symptoms of lung cancer throughout Lung Cancer Awareness Month helps people to be better informed about when they should consult their GP, which should lead to earlier diagnoses. Information about how lung cancer is diagnosed explains the steps that the GP and specialist chest doctors will need to take to achieve a diagnosis.
What symptoms of lung cancer should people check for?
- According to Cancer Research UK, lung cancer may not always have symptoms in the early stages, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including:
- A persistent cough for 3 weeks or more
- A change in a cough that has been present for a long time
- A chest infection that does not get better, or repeated chest infections
- Feeling persistently breathless and wheezy for no reason
- Coughing up blood
- Losing weight for no obvious reason
- Feeling tired or lethargic for no reason
- Chest or shoulder pain that does not get better
- A hoarse voice for 3 weeks or more
- Changes in the shape of fingers and fingernails
People experiencing these symptoms should consult their GP as soon as possible.
The role of Awareness in Reducing Negligence
Finally, explaining the treatment options for lung cancer will ensure that patients are fully informed about what will happen following diagnosis and what this means in terms of their prognosis.
Despite this increased awareness and understanding, there are still many instances where clinical negligence results in patients facing the misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of lung cancer, which, in some cases, leads to the progression of disease requiring more intensive treatment and, in the most extreme cases, reducing life expectancy.
How O’Donnell Solicitors can help
If you would like to discuss your lung cancer claim with a specialist clinical negligence solicitor, please email Kenneth.Lees@odonnellsolicitors.co.uk or telephone 01457 761 320, and a member of the team will contact you for a free, no-obligation discussion.
