World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day is a chance to celebrate the progress and improvements that cancer research has made.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, there was a lot to celebrate in the world of lung cancer. It was estimated that the five-year survival rate had gone up to 17.6%. Now, many estimate that only 13% of people in the UK diagnosed with lung cancer will live for five years or more.

After two years of the pandemic, we are now seeing the true impact it has had on lung cancer.

Our work at Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is more important than ever before. We are proud to be supporting NHS England’s Targeted Lung Health Check programme. This programme will help to detect lung cancer early and give more people chance to receive a diagnosis early enough for curative treatment.

We are continuing to fund lung cancer research projects, aiming to improve early detection of the disease, as well as lung cancer patient experiences.

Awareness is key. That’s why we will continue to run regular awareness campaigns to make sure people are aware that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.

How you can help

What your support means

The pandemic has been an incredibly tough time for many, particularly lung cancer patients. Since 2020, our lung cancer information and support services have received a record number of contacts. Calls to our Ask the Nurse helpline have increased as people living with lung cancer desperatley sought help and support through an increasingly worrying time.

Many patients did not have access to the same level of support as they may have had before the pandemic. As patients shielded and stayed at home, we developed our online resources through our Lung Cancer Connect service to ensure people had access to lung cancer information and support. We also offered financial relief through our patient grant scheme.

When caught early, lung cancer can be cured.
This World Cancer Day, help us spread this message far and wide and save lives.