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Lung cancer awareness

Despite claiming the lives of more than 34,000 people in the UK every year - more than leukaemia, breast and prostate cancer combined - lung cancer still falls far behind other major cancers in the provision of care, information and treatment for patients.

Get involved...

Have you got a story to tell about living with lung cancer? We want to hear from you. Please email us your story at campaigns@macmillan.org.uk


Find out how you can be a force for change with our other campaigns

Lung cancer in the UK - the facts

  • Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK
  • A new person is diagnosed with lung cancer every 15 minutes - that's more than 38,000 people each year
  • More than two thirds of lung cancers are diagnosed at a late stage and survival rates for these patients are lower, currently 80% of people with lung cancer will die within a year of being diagnosed
  • Lung cancer survival rates are higher the earlier the cancer is diagnosed  
  • While smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer, 1 in 6 people who develop lung cancer have never smoked

Lung Cancer Awareness Month 

For the past four years Macmillan has joined forces with The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation during November's Lung Cancer Awareness Month, to raise awareness of lung cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. This November we want more people than ever to be involved and help raise awareness.


Be part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2008

We have produced materials highlighting the signs and symptoms of lung cancer and emphasising that early diagnosis saves lives.

Lung Cancer Awareness - Leaflet [PDF, 197kb]

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - A2 poster [PDF, 521kb]

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - A4 poster [PDF, 490kb]

In Wales

Lung Cancer Awareness - Leaflet Welsh version [PDF, 135kb]

Lung Cancer Awareness - A4 poster Welsh version [PDF, 724kb]

In Northen Ireland

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - A4 leaflet [PDF, 135kb]

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - A4 poster Northern Ireland [PDF, 724kb]

Lung Cancer Awareness Month - A2 poster Northern Ireland [PDF, 521kb]


What we want

Macmillan work as part of the UK Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC), a coalition of leading lung cancer experts, healthcare companies and charities with an interest in the disease who have joined together to fight lung cancer. The UKLCC is committed to doubling one year lung cancer patient survival by 2010 and five year survival by 2015. The UKLCC’s key objectives are to:

  • Raise political awareness of lung cancer
  • Raise the general public’s awareness of lung cancer, including recognising the symptoms and going to the GP to get checked out
  • Empower patients to take an active part in their care
  • Improve lung cancer services in the UK
  • Increase research funding for lung cancer

Find out about the UKLCC here.


Lung Cancer Patient's Charter

In February 2006 Macmillan and The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation launched The Lung Cancer Patient's Charter, calling on government to acknowledge the poor state of people affected by the UK's biggest cancer killer, and setting out minimum standards of care that lung cancer patients should expect to receive. You can view the charter here [PDF, 9kb]