Lung Cancer Awareness Month

• The number of women and people assigned female at birth living with lung cancer in the UK is expected to grow at five times the rate of the number of men and people assigned male over the next 20 years.
• The latest figures, produced by Macmillan Cancer Support in partnership with Scottish Widows, estimate that the number of women and people assigned female with lung cancer will rise from around 80,000 today to around 170,000 in 2045 - a 113% increase, or more than double.
• In contrast, the number of men and people assigned male with lung cancer is only expected to rise from 60,000 today to 73,000 in 2045 - a 22% increase.

Reference: Cancer prevalence. Together with our partners Scottish Widows, we have produced projections of complete UK cancer prevalence from 2025 to 2045.

Lung cancer may not always have symptoms early on. 

Symptoms can include:

• a cough for 3 weeks or more
• a change in a cough you have had for a long time
• a chest infection that does not get better, or repeated chest infections

If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to get them checked by your GP.

We have more information about the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.

Types of lung cancer

There are two main types of primary lung cancer. These are:

• non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
• small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Sometimes cancer spreads to the lungs from somewhere else in the body. This is called lung metastases or secondary lung cancer.

We also have information about cancer that affects the lining that covers the lungs (the pleura). This is called pleural mesothelioma. 

In this video, NHS doctor and experienced health broadcaster Dr Ranj Singh joins Dr David Gilligan, Consultant Oncologist at Cambridge University Hospitals and Royal Papworth Hospitals, to explain lung cancer, covering symptoms, tests, stages and treatment options.

In 2023, Natasha was shocked to be diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in her late forties. Her cancer is ‘gene mutation led’, meaning her lifestyle has not caused it.

“I've always been fit and as a non-smoker, you can imagine how shocked I was when I received my diagnosis. In June 2022, I developed a bit of squeaky breathing, and my voice went husky. By the end of August, I thought I was developing asthma or Long Covid as I noticed a dry cough too.

“My GP was brilliant and after many tests, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. While I was waiting for treatment to start, I'd been getting headaches, so the team did a brain scan. Within two hours - in January 2023 - I was told there would be no surgery, no chemotherapy, it is Stage 4 and it’s incurable.

“Those words are mind blowing, the first thing you think is how long you have. It’s not knowing that’s really scary. Not only are you trying to deal with a potential diagnosis, or an actual diagnosis, but it’s also uncertainty, fear, and you just don’t understand what will happen to you.

“During one of these times, I called the Macmillan Support Line and just said, ‘help!’ I remember telling an amazing nurse that everything felt like a giant plate of spaghetti that I couldn’t unravel. When you are feeling scared and confused, you just cannot make head or tail of anything. The Support Line gives you clarity.

“Macmillan has helped guide me, held my hand and showed me the way.”

Read Natsha's story in full.