Red flag symptoms of cancer that more than half die from within a year include persistent cough

World Lung Cancer Day is marked on Thursday, August 1. It is an apt time to know the early signs of a disease that kills half of the people who are diagnosed with it.

Medical negligence solicitor Kim Jackson, from Patient Claim Line, said Brits can spot signs of lung cancer. Kim has also talked about what to do if your doctor has missed your symptoms.

What are the red flag symptoms of lung cancer?

Kim said: “Red flag symptoms include a persistent cough that can deteriorate, coughing up blood and chest pain that is worse with deep breathing, coughing or laughing. A loss of appetite, weight loss that cannot be explained and fatigue are also key signs of lung cancer. Watch out for hoarseness, breathlessness, a new onset of wheezing and infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that are persistent.”

What should a doctor or medical professional do upon recognizing the symptoms of lung cancer?

Kim said: “If you visit your GP with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer, a GP should examine you and ask you to breathe into a device called a spirometer, which measures how much air you breathe in and out. A blood test might be requested to rule out some of the possible causes of your symptoms. The main test to diagnose lung cancer is a chest X-ray. A CT scan will also be advised as well as a PET-CT scan.”

What happens if lung cancer isn’t treated quickly?

Kim said: “More than half of people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within one year of diagnosis, even with treatment. Obviously, the sooner lung cancer is detected, the greater chance you have of survival. However, it all depends on the staging of the lung cancer and the health of the person overall.”

What are my legal rights if I’ve experienced a delayed lung cancer diagnosis?

Kim said: “A person has three years from their date of knowledge to bring a claim before the Court. In order to establish negligence, a person must prove that there has been a breach of duty of care and as a result, causation has arisen ie a person has suffered injury as a direct result of negligence. It can be difficult to be successful in a claim for negligence in cancer cases, particularly when proving causation. It might be that, while there has been a delay in diagnosing cancer, the outcome might not have been any different in any event.”