John Baron MP encourages lung cancer awareness

MP makes an exhibition of himself for lung cancer

 Yesterday John Baron’s portrait appeared in a one-off unique parliamentary photographic exhibition to raise awareness of lung cancer, the most common cancer worldwide. In the UK alone lung cancer causes around 35,000 deaths a year. John is among a group of politicians who had their photographs taken for a parliamentary photographic exhibition. The exhibition is a joint project between the charity Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and pharmaceutical company Boehringher Ingelheim. The exhibition shows images of parliamentarians holding lung x-ray images, which are accompanied by statements explaining the reason for their involvement in the project.  The photographs were on display in a pop-up exhibition in the House of Commons yesterday and John’s is attached.

 John said,

 “I fully support this excellent campaign. Greater awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer is vitally important so that people don’t delay going to see their GP. The earlier we can detect cancer, the more lives we can save.”

 Paula Chadwick, interim chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said:

 “Every 15 minutes somebody in the UK dies from lung cancer. Although we’ve recently seen some improvements in survival rates there is still so much to be done.

 Ends

Word Count: 214

Date: 8^th March 2012

 Notes to Editors:

 The attached photo shows John in front of an Xray.

• The main signs and symptoms of lung cancer are:

• A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks
• Worsening or change to long standing cough
• Repeated chest infections
• Coughing up blood
• Unexplained persistent breathlessness
• Unexplained persistent tiredness
• Unexplained persistent weight loss
• Persistent chest and/or shoulder pain

• If you have any of these symptoms for more than three weeks, make an appointment with your GP today. It may be nothing serious but it is worth getting checked out.
• For information on local support groups and general information on lung cancer issues call the freephone helpline on 0800 358 7200 or visit www.roycastle.org

•  John’s statements exhibited on the day read as follows:

 “We have seen remarkable improvements in survival rates for many cancers over the past 30 years but sadly this has, so far, not been the case for lung cancer⁸.

 “One of the reasons is that two thirds of patients are diagnosed too late when curative treatment is no longer an option.”

 “We need to do two things to encourage earlier diagnosis: Increase public awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer – such as a cough which won’t go away; and better focus the local NHS on improving its performance in this area through the introduction of outcomes measures, such as staging and A&E emergency admissions monitoring.”

 John is Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer