The earlier we detect cancer, the more lives we can save!

My portrait is appearing 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.

I am among a group of politicians who have 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 Jubilee Room, in the House of Commons.

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.