DAVE Marcus would ever disregard his pesky cough due to the fact that helium ne'er smoked.
So erstwhile doctors discovered his chest infection was lung cancer, helium had the "shock of his life".
"I was truthful focused connected the information that I had ne'er smoked that I, unintentionally, ignored the clearest of informing signs - a persistent cough," the 57-year-old from Cheshire said.
After having surgery to region a hernia and being fixed antibiotics for the suspected thorax infection, the cough persisted.
"Even astatine this point, I wasn't acrophobic astir my cough," Dave said.
"After the hernia operation, the cough had go rather mild.
"I'd cough occasionally done the time and night.
"It wasn't aggressive, conscionable persistent.
"If anything, it was much irritating than worrisome. It ne'er felt ominous.
"I deliberation that's wherefore lung crab was ne'er successful my mind, and wherefore would it be?
"I hadn't smoked truthful wherefore would I get lung cancer?"
Dave's spouse Emelie was undergoing attraction for colon cancer astatine the clip and insisted that helium get a 2nd opinion.
Tiny microrobots made from ‘pond scum’ could shrink lung crab tumours and boost endurance by 40%, scientists say
Only past did doctors observe helium had a 7.8cm tumour and was past diagnosed with lung crab - 7 months aft helium archetypal started coughing.
He spoke to a doc done his enactment astatine healthcare institution Teladoc Health, which led to his diagnosis successful October this year.
Dave said: "This doc took things overmuch much seriously, particularly fixed the magnitude of clip I had had this cough.
I americium impervious that it tin hap to anyone and catching it aboriginal means there's beingness aft lung cancer
Dave Marcus
"He insisted I spot a respiratory consultant.
"That's erstwhile I got the biggest daze of my life."
Dave admitted helium "unintentionally ignored" his cough due to the fact that he's ne'er smoked before.
He said: "It's a sobering thought to deliberation however adjacent things got "So overmuch of that is down to the cognition of lung crab - oregon deficiency of knowing astir this benignant of cancer.
"I was truthful focused connected the information that I had ne'er smoked that I, unintentionally, ignored the clearest of informing signs - a persistent cough.
"But I wasn't unsocial successful this thinking.
"It wasn't until I got that 2nd sentiment that lung crab became a possibility.
"It's decidedly clip we halt reasoning astir lung crab successful this way.
"I americium impervious that it tin hap to anyone and catching it aboriginal means there's beingness aft lung cancer."
How bash radical who ne'er fume get lung cancer?
WE'RE each good alert of the perils of smoking, with cigarettes liable for 7 retired of 10 cases of lung cancer.
If you've ne'er puffed connected a cigarette, your likelihood of sidestepping the illness are altogether overmuch stronger.
But it's inactive imaginable to develop lung cancer even if you've sworn disconnected tobacco.
In fact, up to 14 per cent of radical with lung crab successful the UK person ne'er smoked, according to Cancer Research UK.
What are the symptoms?
Most nonsmokers person nary aboriginal signs of lung cancer, which means they're often not diagnosed until it has spread.
But immoderate radical bash announcement symptoms successful the cancer's aboriginal stages, Yale oncologists said.
These are akin to the symptoms successful smokers and whitethorn see the following:
- A cough that doesn’t spell distant oregon gets worse implicit time
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Trouble breathing
- Wheezing
- Hoarseness
- Loss of appetite
- Weight nonaccomplishment for nary reason
- Fatigue
- Trouble swallowing
- Swelling successful the look and/or the neck
- Recurrent lung infections, including pneumonia
What are the hazard factors for lung cancer?
Even if you've ne'er picked up a cigaret successful your life, a operation of different factors tin inactive enactment you astatine hazard of processing the disease.
For starters, passive smoking - breathing successful different people's cigaret fume - tin somewhat summation your risk, according to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Your property is different driver, arsenic the crab is much communal successful older people, with much than 4 successful 10 radical diagnosed with lung crab being 75 and over.
Materials and substances you inhale portion moving tin besides summation your chances of processing lung cancer.
One specified worldly is asbestos, a worldly that was antecedently utilized successful the gathering industry.
People who person been successful prolonged oregon adjacent interaction with asbestos person a higher hazard of getting lung cancer, Macmillan said.
Heavy metals and diesel exhaust are 2 much cancer-causing agents that radical could beryllium exposed to astatine work, Yale oncologists added.
Then there's radon gas.
In definite parts of the UK, a earthy state called radon tin walk from the ungraded into the foundations of buildings.
While vulnerability to precocious levels of radon isn't common, it tin summation the hazard of processing lung cancer, peculiarly successful radical who besides smoke.
Finally, wherever you unrecorded tin besides up your risk, arsenic probe has shown that air pollution can beryllium a driving factor down lung crab cases.
The hazard is linked to aerial prime and however overmuch contamination a idiosyncratic is exposed to, but for astir people, the hazard is precise small, Macmillan noted.
Dave is present supporting the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation's "Let Go of the Labels" run for lung crab consciousness month.
The foundation is calling for a halt to presumption similar smoker and never-smoker.
Paula Chadwick, main enforcement of the foundation, said: "We request to bash everything we tin to guarantee everyone with lung crab is diagnosed arsenic rapidly arsenic possible."
"Labels similar 'smoker' and 'never smoker' tin distort what's truly going connected and halt radical from getting diagnosed earlier.
"It's clip to fto spell of these archaic labels.
"Lung crab doesn't spot them and neither should we."