There is no question, if implemented properly, targeted lung health checks will improve early detection rates and, in turn, have a major impact on long term survival.
This is something Linda Salter knows all too well – an early diagnosis saved her life, but her husband, David, was not so fortunate.
“I was invited to Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s lung health check back in 2017. I had no reservations about going. I always go to smear tests and mammograms. It’s so important.
At the appointment, I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and referred for a CT scan at the mobile.
The scan discovered two small nodules inside my right lung. I was referred to a specialist that same week. They believed the nodules weren’t cancerous and recommended monitoring them for any signs of growth.
That was quite a frightening time, knowing there was ‘something’ there but after having two clear follow up scans, I kind of thought I was out of the woods.
But I wasn’t. Nine months after the original health check, the scan showed the nodules had grown. Despite this, I still had no symptoms and felt absolutely fine so, if it hadn’t have been for that health check, things could have been very different.
I know how devastating lung cancer can be; my husband David died within six months of being diagnosed. But because of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and all its supporters, my story is very different.
I can’t express how grateful I am. If I hadn’t gone for that test, I don’t know how far the cancer would have spread before I would have found out. It saved my life.”
