Leicester’s Hospitals’ Lung Cancer Specialist Nurses will run a stall at Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre on Thursday 16 November from 9am-4pm near Tesco to help promote Lung Cancer to the people of Leicestershire. The key message this year is that using e-cigarettes is a great way to reduce the harm caused by smoking tobacco.

The day is part of lung cancer awareness month this November and it is being held at Beaumont Leys to show the public the importance of looking after your lungs. Everyone is invited to take a break from their shopping to learn about the early signs and symptom recognition of lung cancer. Last year the team used a pair of giant inflatable lungs to grab student’s attention and to be used as a learning tool, whilst this year they are focussing on the public walking around Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre.

Sharon Savory, Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “There are on average 500 plus patients a year diagnosed with lung cancer in Leicester and Leicestershire. The aim of lung cancer awareness month is to promote early symptom recognition and encourage the public to see their GP early. Evidence shows the earlier this disease is detected the better the outcome. We want to show the public what to look for, who to see and to learn to love their lungs. We will be joined on the day by our smoking cessation colleagues, Roy Castle Lung foundation, and Mesothelioma UK. The lung Nurses are all Macmillan post holders.”

Pauline McCallum is an ex-smoker and was diagnosed with Lung Cancer in 2013. She is now in stable in follow-up. Pauline said, “When I was diagnosed, Sharon Savory was my Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse. I had to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat my cancer. I cannot fault the Leicester Lung Cancer team one bit; they were there all the way for me. If I’ve got a problem, I can just ring them up and they sort it for me. They are just one team and for what they do, they deserve a gold medal – absolutely marvellous.

“There’s quite a few of us with Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma that attend a support group set up by Sharon and her team and we meet every month for a chance to talk to each other, not about our problems, but to socialise. We all know what’s wrong but it’s nice to see everyone and meet up. We all look forward to these meetings as we are like family now.”

Sue Green, Senior Information Development Nurse at Macmillan, said: “Knowing what changes to look for and when to see your doctor could make a real difference. Don’t be scared if you have lung cancer symptoms, get them checked. If you do have cancer, the sooner it’s found, the better.”

Dr Paul Danaher, a General Practitioner, said: “If you are or have been a smoker and have had a cough for more than three weeks or have seen blood in phlegm, we want to know about it. Early cancer detection means early treatment and that saves lives. If you are still burning leaves to get your nicotine fix, it’s time to get into the 21st century, e-cigarettes and vaping can give you what you enjoy in a cigarette. If you are not ready to quit, it’s time to switch.”

Louise Ross, Stop Smoking Service Manager for Leicester City Council, said: ‘By the first week of Stoptober, all the advisors were reporting that their clinics were full, and it’s great to see such enthusiasm for stopping smoking. If you haven’t booked an appointment yet, it’s not too late, just call 0116 4544000 or email stop@leicester.gov.uk.

“This Stoptober, Public Health England is encouraging smokers to give e-cigarettes a go; we know that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking, and that people who switch to vaping do very well with their quit attempt.”

Sanjay Agrawal, Consultant Respiratory Intensivist at Leicester’s Hospitals added: “E-cigarettes can really help people to quit tobacco even when they have tried quitting before. They seem to help people as using e-cigarettes still feels like smoking even though it isn’t and doesn’t carry the same level of harm as tobacco. Public Health England are right behind the campaign to use e-cigarettes to help smokers quit.”