What is the UK Lung Cancer Coalition?
The United Kingdom Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC) is a powerful new partnership of leading lung cancer experts, senior NHS and Department of Health professionals, charities and healthcare companies. The UKLCC is the nation’s largest multi-interest group in lung cancer and this is the first time all the interested parties have joined together to give people with lung cancer a true voice.
Our challenge
Lung cancer is the country’s biggest cancer killer. In the UK, someone dies from lung cancer every 15 minutes and half of all people with lung cancer die within six months of diagnosis.
Despite improvements in service provision, there are still wide variations in standards of care across the country and lung cancer is considered the poor relation when compared to other cancers. It kills a quarter of all UK cancer patients yet only receives three percent of national cancer research monies. It is not surprising, therefore, that we have one of the worst survival rates in Europe.
Bringing Lung Cancer out of the shadow
We are convinced that UK survival can be doubled through a combination of earlier diagnosis and improved standards of care – the worst performing cancer units must match the standards set by the best.
The Government has actively supported the other major cancers by increasing public awareness and making more funding available. Somehow lung cancer has been the forgotten cancer.
Lung cancer is not just a ‘smoker’s disease’ – one in eight people who are diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked.
We want to work with Government and the NHS to dispel the myths surrounding lung cancer and help people recognise the symptoms and seek early diagnosis. Lung cancer can be cured if caught early enough.
It is time that lung cancer stepped out from the shadow. |
