Press releases

October 31 2007

Gary kicks off Lung Cancer Awareness Month - view pictures from the event

Superstar striker Gary Lineker and Parliamentary under Secretary of Health Services Ann Keen kick off this year’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month at White Hart Lane home of Tottenham Hotspurs FC on November 1st.

Gary was approached by a friend who has lung cancer and he immediately agreed to help charities The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support raise awareness of the disease which is the UK’s biggest cancer killer.

The disease falls far behind other major cancers in the provision of care, information and treatment for over 37,000 patients that are diagnosed each year in Britain despite being the biggest cancer killer of both men and women.

The average time from diagnosis to death is currently less than six months. For 80 per cent of those diagnosed, their disease is inoperable because it has been noticed too late. If they got to the doctor earlier they could have been operated on and for many, their lives could have been saved.

Gary Lineker said, “I think lung cancer isn’t really on the radar but when someone you know gets the disease you realise how many people the disease affects. Having a friend suffer from the disease I can see we need to raise awareness of lung cancer and ensure people seek advice early enough.”

Health minister Ann Keen said, “It is a sobering fact that the 37,000 capacity at White Hart Lane almost equals the number of people who are diagnosed each year with lung cancer in the UK. Lung Cancer Awareness Month has the potential for saving many lives and that is why it is such an important campaign. I am delighted to offer my support and I would like to thank all the members of the working group for their drive and determination to make the campaign a big success."

Mike Unger, chief executive of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation explains, “The aim of the month is to increase awareness of the symptoms of the disease and to ask the media to help us spread the message. The disease, if caught early can be treated in most cases.”

The main symptoms of lung cancer are:

• chest infections that won’t go away, even with antibiotics
• a cough for more than three weeks or coughing up blood
• feeling more tired than usual
• feeling very out of breath
• losing your voice but no sore throat
• chest pains
• unexplained weight loss

Professor Jessica Corner, director for improving cancer services, Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Early diagnosis really does save lives. It’s vital that people take any symptoms seriously and visit their GP to get checked out without delay to ensure the very best chance of survival.”

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support are part of a group of organisations raising awareness of lung cancer in November. Members include the Department of Health, Cancer Research UK, Cancerbackup, the British Lung Foundation, Men’s Health Forum, UK Lung Cancer Coalition, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the National Electronic Library for Health, National Pharmaceutical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

ENDS

Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation (Registered Charity 1046854) - for further media information please contact:

Julie Cheston on 0161 238 9419, email: jcheston@webershandwick.com or Kate Towey on 0161 238 9418 email ktowey@webershandwick.com

Julia Anderson, Macmillan Cancer Support Press Office, 020 7840 7803 (out of hours 07801 307068) email janderson@macmillan.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR

 About The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the only charity in the world wholly dedicated to defeating lung cancer – the biggest cancer killer in the UK. The charity’s approach benefits current and future lung cancer sufferers alike:

• The foundation funds research programmes to detect lung cancer at a very early stage, which will save lives and is vital to the development of a future therapy.
• The foundation offers patient support, advocacy and an information network providing information, guidance and support relevant to the needs of lung cancer patients and their families.
• The foundation facilitates support groups across the UK that assist sufferers to come to terms with the disease and provide patient advocacy services.
• The foundation operates ‘Quit Smoking’ services for adults (Fag Ends);
• KATS (Kids Against Tobacco Smoke) educational programme for children which encourages young people never to start smoking;
• ATYC (Anti Tobacco Youth Campaign) which gives young people a voice, knowledge and skills to campaign about smoking and other tobacco issues;
• The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation runs fundraising events and charity shops, both of which help to generate much needed voluntary donations (public and corporate), on which it relies to continue its fight to defeat lung cancer.

About Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. 1.2 million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help.