MPs will vote today (16th April 2024) on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a new legislation which would make it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2009 – children aged 15 or younger today. Smoking itself would not be criminalised and anyone who can legally buy tobacco today will never be prevented from doing so in the future by the legislation. If passed, the Bill will progress to the next stage, with the hope of bringing the UK closer to creating the first smoke-free generation.  Paula Chadwick is the chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. She sh ..read more

It was a bleak February when Caroline first logged on to our post-surgery online support session. Hesitant at first, our lung cancer support group turned out to be a key moment in helping her move past her diagnosis and treatment. “I don’t think I’m alone in feeling quite apprehensive before attending the first session of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s online support group. Things like this can be a little daunting, especially as I found it difficult to put into words the illness that had turned my life upside down. “However, as nervous as I was, I now just feel so lucky that I had the op ..read more

Best friends Erin and Lucy are running the London Marathon together this year for Lucy’s Dad Ken, who currently has stage 4 lung cancer. They’ve organised some brilliant events to help spread the word and fundraise for us, such as assemblies and fun runs in their children’s schools and even their very own record-breakers-themed events! “We met at our church playgroup around the age of 3-4. We attended primary and secondary school together in Codsall, Wolverhampton and have remained close friends ever since.   “The same primary school is now attended by our children (3 each!) and has ..read more

“I grew up in Birmingham – pretty urban, but my family was quite outdoorsy and from childhood, we would go walking in the Lake District and skiing.  This left me with a passion for the outdoors and I love hiking and running.   “After a spell at University studying Music and Music in the Community and then living abroad for a time, I became a teacher. I’m now Director of Music at a secondary school in Guildford.   “Being a musician, I enjoy conducting choirs and singing and I play the piano, too. My husband is an ecologist, so the outdoorsy nature of our lifestyle has c ..read more

After losing both parents to lung cancer, sisters Jinty and Heather are long-standing supporters of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. In 2015 the sisters took on the London Marathon in memory of their Dad, with their mum cheering from the sidelines. This year, they’re taking on the marathon again, this time in her memory.  “Training has mostly gone to plan, we completed our final long training run of 20 miles last weekend and are now enjoying the taper, it’s great knowing we’re ‘only’ running 9 miles this weekend. However, the reason they call it training is so you can learn from any mis ..read more

As a respiratory consultant, Dr Meme Wijesinghe from Truro Cornwall, supports people with lung cancer every day. However, it was only when she went through her own cancer diagnosis, it opened her eyes to the discrepancies lung cancer patients go through. “Telling someone they have lung cancer is one of the hardest parts of my job. The diagnosis is met with a huge range of emotions: sadness, anger, despair and in some cases relief, as finally there is an explanation for their symptoms. But I don’t think you can ever truly understand how those few words can make your world fall apart, until you ..read more

Born and bred in Liverpool, Callum McShane is an Evertonian who loves sports, especially football and rugby.  “Growing up, I loved playing a lot of football but sadly I suffered three serious knee injuries. These included needing operations to remove 60-65% of the lateral meniscus in my right knee and 20-25% of the lateral meniscus in my left knee. I then ruptured the ACL in my left knee and I have now been told I have arthritis in both my knees.  “I struggled with my recovery from these injuries. I found it tough both physically and mentally. I had numerous doctors and surgeons tell ..read more

At 46, Alex Shaw leads a bustling life as an Associate Director at Progeny in Leeds. For nearly 16 years, he’s poured his expertise into his work there, balancing it with a rich family life near Wakefield, where he resides with his partner and two children Matilda, aged 10, and Isaac, aged 7.  Beyond his employment, Alex wears many hats – from being a devoted runner to managing a local under-7s football team, serving as a school governor, and indulging in his passion for football shirt collecting, boasting a collection of around 1000! But behind the scenes of his seemingly comfortable lif ..read more

The National Lung Cancer Audit’s 2nd ‘State of the Nation’ report for people diagnosed with lung cancer between 1 January and 31 December 2022 in England and Wales was published on the NLCA website on 10th April 2024. The report shows how your NHS Trust or Health Board is performing on a national level. There are a range of measures designed to show how diagnosis and treatment is happening compared to standards expected, called performance indicators. The Audit team has produced a series of dashboards designed to show how cancer alliances/ networks are doing compared to others across Engl ..read more

Lung cancer charity calls on Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, to order directive to NHS for genomic testing for lung cancer. Picture the scene… You receive the devastating news that you have lung cancer. You undergo a series of tests, including genetic tests, to determine the type of lung cancer, its stage and the treatment options available. The results of the genetic tests can take six weeks or more so, rather than leaving the cancer untreated, you’re treated with maintenance chemotherapy. Your genetic test results come back and show you have a genetic mutation ..read more