Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB
“I nearly didn’t go, but now I’ve been I was diagnosed with lung cancer and I’m still here to tell the story”
Jacqui, aged 62 from Sherwood, Nottingham almost didn’t undertake her telephone assessment for a targeted lung health check.
A Nottingham resident whose life has been saved by a simple check is now urging other eligible people to go for their lung health checks if invited.
Jacqui received her invite letter and ignored it; she was having chest x-rays for her throat at the time and just assumed if anything was wrong it would have been picked up with these x-rays. Jacqui had a slight cough but just put it down to her throat problems. However, it started to play on her mind so after seeing lots of posters and bus adverts in her local community she decided to call up and have her telephone assessment.
Jacqui who had been smoking from a very young age and had sadly lost family members to lung cancer and kidney cancer, was unaware she had lung cancer until she attended her scan at her local Sainsburys car park in September 2023. Within two weeks of having her scan, Jacqui was diagnosed with early stages of lung cancer that had spread to her lymph glands.
“It has been a real whirlwind over the past year, everything happened so quick and I was convinced I would be fine. When I was diagnosed with lung cancer I was so shocked, I’m just so glad I decided to undertake the lung health check. After my diagnosis I stopped smoking immediately with the support from my local stop smoking provider and I haven’t touched a cigarette in over 12 months. At hospital my diagnosis was discussed, lung surgery along with chemotherapy and immunotherapy was undertaken. I’m still having immunotherapy every three weeks and my last scan in April has shown it hasn’t spread so this is really positive.
“I am so grateful to the service and I can’t thank the cancer nurses enough for how supportive they were to me, you just can’t fault how attentive they are through such an emotional journey, they have been amazing.”
Free lung health checks are currently being offered to residents in Nottingham City aged between 55 and 74 who currently or used to smoke to help identify lung cancer in those who may be at higher risk. The checks are being carried out in a mobile screening unit located across the City in areas showing highest rates of mortality from lung cancer. Finding cancers at an earlier stage when patients are more amenable to curative treatment such as surgery. 55% cancers have been caught at an earlier stage within Nottingham City so far, leading to a 77% curative rate for lung cancers diagnosed. They also have the added benefit of early identification of other diseases.
Jacqui added: “I have recommended lung health checks to both friends and family who have gone on to have their checks and thankfully they have been tested and are clear. I always share Facebook posts to help raise awareness as it’s so important to attend even if you think you are ok.”
For more information on lung health checks in Nottingham visit:
