A BRADFORD TV doctor has urged people from the city who have had a cough for three weeks or more, that is not Covid-19, to be contact their medical practice.

The NHS has relaunched the ‘Help Us, Help You’ lung cancer campaign, with the support of Public Health England, urging people in Bradford to get checked.

Figures show that 247 people die from lung cancer in Bradford every year, accounting for 11 per cent of all lung cancer deaths in Yorkshire. However, finding cancer early makes is more treatable.

Dr Amir Khan, who is often seen on ITV shows including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, is calling on people in Bradford to get checked if they have this symptom and to urge loved ones to contact their GP if they’ve noticed them coughing for three weeks or more.

 

He said: “Speaking as a GP, I cannot stress enough how important it is to contact your GP practice if you’ve had a cough for three weeks or more and it isn’t Covid-19.

“The NHS wants to hear from you. This new research shows the crucial role friends and family can play in encouraging their loved ones to contact their GP practice if they have a persistent cough, which could be a sign of lung cancer.

“Whilst it’s probably nothing serious, finding cancer earlier makes it more treatable.”

To coincide with the launch, the NHS is releasing new research which reveals more than 70 per cent of people would not tell their friends or family if they had a symptom of lung cancer because they would not want to worry them.

A total of 64 per cent of people would not go and see their GP because they would worry about the impact of bad news on their friends and family.

The research also showed that 72 per cent would only go to their GP if they were sure their symptoms were something serious and 58 per cent would be more likely to go to the GP with a persistent cough if someone close to them told them to do so.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with around 39,300 people diagnosed each year. However, those who are diagnosed at the earliest stage, referred to as stage one, have a 57 per cent chance of living for another five years, compared to just three per cent for those diagnosed at stage four.

In addition to the symptom of a cough for three weeks or more, other symptoms of lung cancer include chest infections that keep coming back, coughing up blood, a long-standing cough that gets worse, an ache or pain when breathing or coughing, persistent breathlessness and persistent tiredness or lack of energy.