As you will read, I'm so lucky to be fit, and intend to do three miles a day as a fundraiser this October!

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which aims to provide help and hope to people affected by lung cancer. Founded in Liverpool in 1990, it is the only UK charity to focus solely on research, screening and care for this illness.

Famous entertainer Roy Castle was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1992 and died of it in 1994. As a lifelong non-smoker he challenged the public’s assumption of lifestyle choice as the only cause of lung cancer. Indeed current statistics suggest around a quarter of all sufferers are non-smokers with a rising number of young, never-smoking women being diagnosed. Despite the recognition of the role of environmental pollution, genetics and radon gas in many cases of lung cancer, the stigma of self-inflicted harm still affects the funding of routine screening, research and support services..

It may surprise many to find that lung cancer is the leading form of cancer death in the UK – more than breast, prostate and bowel put together. Much of the high death toll results from late diagnosis. In a spongy organ like a lung, many early tumours show no symptoms. Low dose mobile CT scanners are starting to be employed in targeted (smoking) populations in England – none in Scotland yet.

My own interest in lung cancer arose in August 2019 when a “spiculated mass” the size of an egg was seen on my left lung during a whole body CT scan following discovery of a (pre-cancerous) bowel polyp after a routine bowel cancer screening. I was diagnosed with lung cancer and offered lobectomy surgery to remove the tumour and half of my left lung . As a totally asymptomatic apparently healthy hill walking non-smoker, this was a complete and devastating shock.

I quickly came up against a problem - the paucity of NHS funded information and emotional support for lung cancer. Being a “like to know” type of person and given the frighteningly poor five year survival statistics, I really needed to find someone able and willing to discuss my illness and its treatment in depth. The NHS leaflets, and an overworked McMillan Lung Specialist nurse did little to answer my questions and I struggled for months with a desperate need to learn why I had the disease and what my personal chances of survival were. My follow-up visits involved a chest X ray and a few words with the chest surgeon – I never saw an oncologist, nor found anyone able to discuss my concerns in any meaningful or helpful way. It was at this stage I discovered the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and I can still remember the elation of reading a real life story of a woman who was diagnosed early, like me, and was living a normal life 5 years on. Hope is heady stuff!

As it turned out, the actively cancerous part of my egg sized tumour was smaller than expected and removal of half a lung was deemed sufficient. I slowly recovered with the care and support of friends, neighbours and family. Seven years on from that operation in October 2019 I am considered to be as cured as you can be from lung cancer, still going up the odd Munro and living a very good life. Looking back I realise how extremely fortunate I was to have such a random early diagnosis. So, this month I am joining in the fund raising campaign to support the wonderful organisation that gave me hope and which lobbies for wider early detection.

And in the meantime I can proudly claim that I am one of the lucky few who survived lung cancer due to the success of the bowel cancer screening programme!