A FORMER pub landlady has successfully quit smoking after 50 years following a lung cancer diagnosis.
Grandma-of-six Jean Page, 73, from Marple, was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year after attending an NHS lung health check onboard a mobile clinic parked up at Hazel Grove Park and Ride in Stockport.
People aged 55-74 who smoke or used to smoke are and who are registered with a GP in Greater Manchester will be sent an invite for NHS Lung Cancer Screening by post or via text message when a mobile clinic comes to their area.
The service is run in partnership by Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust with support from the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.
Jean was invited for a lung health check as a smoker when the mobile NHS clinic came to Stockport.
Jean, who is a former landlady at The Windsor Castle, in Marple, didn’t have any symptoms but knew friends who had been for the screening and they encouraged her to go.
After completing a health questionnaire and going on to have a CT scan of her lungs at the mobile clinic, Jean received a follow up call a few days later inviting her for further hospital tests.
After a series of tests, Jean learned she had lung cancer in February this year. But thanks to going for the NHS screening her lung cancer was found early.
Jean said: “I was still walking my dog, Dolly, and didn’t have any noticeable symptoms so I wasn’t sure whether the NHS screening was really for me. I’m often the type of person who would rather not know.
“But a few people I knew had already been for their lung health check and they all said I should go so I thought I’d better get it done.
“I’d been smoking all my life and was still smoking when I went for my appointment but there was no judgement. I’d tried to give up a few times but it’s so addictive.
“Later when the doctor told me I had lung cancer I couldn’t believe it. I was gobsmacked because I’d had no symptoms. I actually had to ask them if they were sure they had the right person because I felt fine!”
After her diagnosis Jean, who is now retired, got offered help to stop smoking from Wythenshawe Hospital’s onsite stop smoking service, known as CURE and successfully quit with help from the team and by using nicotine replacement patches.
Jean had surgery to remove the cancer from her lungs in April this year and is recovering well following her treatment.
Jean is now back playing Cribbage at the pub where she once worked and is encouraging others to go for their NHS Lung Cancer Screening and to stop smoking.
She said: “If I hadn’t gone for the screening, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong. Who knows how long it would have been before it was found otherwise? I really believe it saved my life.
“I know some people worry about what they might find. I understand that because I felt a bit like that myself. But it’s much better to know, because then you can get help like I did.
“After my diagnosis I was determined to quit smoking. It wasn’t easy but I did it and if I can do it after 50 years then others can too! I had so much support from all the staff at Wythenshawe I can’t thank them enough.”
Dr Sarah Taylor, Associate Medical Director for Primary Care at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said:
“Jean’s story shows why NHS Lung Cancer Screening is so important.
“Most people who come for screening won’t have lung cancer but it’s important to come and get checked out.
“For the very small proportion of people who do go on to get a lung cancer diagnosis by attending lung cancer screening their cancer is usually found at an earlier stage when it’s much more likely to be treatable.”
Professor Matthew Evison, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and Clinical Lead for Make Smoking History in Greater Manchester, said: “It’s fantastic to hear Jean is doing so well. Stopping smoking is one of the most important things anyone can do after a cancer diagnosis – it helps people recover from surgery, helps treatments work better and improves survival. It’s never too late to stop, and Jean is proof of that after 50 years.
“Throughout our lung cancer service at Wythenshawe Hospital, all patients who smoke are offered specialist support to stop, including nicotine replacement, nicotine vapes and medication and ongoing support throughout their care. Everyone who smokes and attends lung cancer screening in Greater Manchester is also offered help to quit. There’s no judgement – just expert support for anyone who wants it.”
October is Stoptober. Find out more about how to stop smoking by visiting: https://makesmokinghistory.co.uk/
People aged 55-74 from Greater Manchester who smoke or used to smoke are offered free NHS Lung Cancer Screening. If you are registered with a GP in Greater Manchester, you’ll be sent an invite by post or via text message when a mobile clinic comes to your area. If you’ve previously had an invite and not taken up your screening but would now like to please call 0161 529 0900 to re-book or for more information visit: https://mft.nhs.uk/lunghealthcheck/
