A four-year-old grandmother from Lancashire was diagnosed with lung cancer after ignoring an NHS review appointment.
Helen Ford, 74, of Blackpool, is now urging others to come in and attend their own lung health check-ups after their diagnosis. When Helen initially received her invitation, she ignored it; then he felt guilty, so he made another appointment.
Lung cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage than other cancers because there are often no signs or symptoms at an early stage. The Targeted Lung Health Monitoring Program, launched in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen last summer, is a pilot program designed to identify signs of early-stage cancer when it is much more treatable and ultimately saves more lives.
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The program is currently offered to people living in Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen and Rossendale who are between 55 and 74 years old and have ever smoked. This is because they have a higher risk of lung cancer.
Lung health check reveals the functioning of a participant’s lungs and hopes to identify problems soon. Most of the time no problem is found, but if a cancer or a problem with the breathing or lungs of an early participant is detected, the treatment could be simpler and more successful.
Helen, a mother of two and a grandmother of four, also lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a long-term lung disease. She said: “I also have COPD, so when my cough got worse, I just thought it was an outbreak of COPD and I called my GP for surgery and got the medicine I usually get.”
After Helen’s initial telephone evaluation with a nurse, she was referred for an examination of her lungs. She said: “Basically, I knew something was wrong, so I wasn’t completely surprised when I got a call telling me that something needed more research.
Helen was diagnosed with lung cancer, but has undergone chemotherapy and is now receiving immunotherapy. She stays positive and optimistic with her cancer starting to shrink. Lung health check-up may have saved her life, and although her cancer cannot be cured, it can be treated.
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Helen said she was happy to pick up her check and would say to others, “I would encourage anyone who receives the invitation, please, to go because my cancer was the third stage. If you can get it. faster than that, it’s worth it. ” Most types of cancer have four stages, the third stage usually means that the cancer is large and may have begun to spread to the surrounding tissues and nearby lymph nodes.
Dr. Neil Smith, a Blackburn GP and head of cancer in Lancashire and South Cumbria, encourages these simple “IMTs” and said: “Early diagnosis saves lives, so if a team member offers you a checkup lung health, please contact us. “
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