Esther Rantzen has got lung cancer

I haven't smoked for over 35 years, but did for a few years previously. When I attend routine health checks the nurses often put me down as a non-smoker (just as they claim I get light exercise when I don't, and that I have good dental health when they haven't seen inside my mouth or asked if I have regular check-ups).

I don't know why they do this, but I wouldn't like to think that it would exclude me from being invited for a check when they are rolled out.

westendgirl. Have they wheeled it out yet and how do you go about getting one? I used to smoke but stopped 14 years ago. I qualify age wise with some margin.

Ticking bird I'm afraid you wont get a test if you are over 74.
Why there is an age limit I don't know, unless it is to give parity with breast and bowel screening. You can however request screening in the established breast and bowel programmes.

My BIL died from lung cancer, he had never smoked in his life.

My DH died from lung cancer last year. He had smoked from the age of fifteen but gave it up when he was 42. He was always a very fit man until about a year before he was diagnosed at age 78 when his cancer was stage 4. I would not wish it on anyone. My father, a lifelong smoker, also died from it but we didn’t even know he had it - he died suddenly from a brain aneurism.
I wish Esther a good outcome.

My dear Dad died of lung cancer which had spread everywhere at age 57. They didn’t even know until the autopsy that he had lung cancer - I was 19.

Another dear friend died of lung cancer, not caused by smoking. It wasn’t detected until it had spread to her brain and the effects of that were being investigated. She died on her daughter’s 8th birthday.

I think it’s great that they’re intending to test all ex smokers as lung cancer doesn’t usually cause symptoms until it’s metastasised.

I wish Esther well.

When watching programmes such as ‘Endeavour’, set in the 60’s, you realise how much times have changed. Everyone lighting up in the office or interview room, is so different to now, but it seemed so normal back then.

I bought my future husband a cigarette lighter as a Christmas present in 1970, our first one together. I must have been mad, but it seemed so common to smoke then. I never did, and thankfully he gave up many years ago.

Obviously smoking is responsible for most lung cancers but genes and/ or other factors must play some part in ones susceptibility to the disease?
Living in a polluted environment, stress for example?
I’m only thinking that may be the case, I have no medical knowledge.

I remember hearing an oncologist who specialised in lung cancer saying some lung cancers are caused by a virus. She’d never smoked. Her mother, who was in her 90’s was still smoking.
Yes research is important and most of us accept smoking is generally bad for health.
We need to avoid leaping to assumptions about lifestyle, pushing responsibility on to the patient, who is suffering enough.

He started smoking when he was about 15, at a time when most people smoked and teenage boys were almost encouraged to do so. The dangers of smoking were not known to the general public at this time
Musicgirl my MIL was advised to smoke by her GP during the war because he said it would help her nerves after she lost FIL.
She lived to a good age, never got lung cancer but did suffer with COPD and other lung problems in later life.

Rosie51 and Louella12, no one can say what the cause of the lung cancer was if non smokers get it too. Highly unlikely to be radiotherapy; the risk is tiny. Not good news for those of us who've been through radiotherapy if so.

Sorry to hear all the sad stories on here. I can understand the need for research into what behaviours cause which diseases and the need for us all to be told about them; but the blame culture that we are in these days just adds to the distress that people already have to suffer when they or their loved ones get a difficult diagnosis.

I have the same type of response for my chronic pancreatitis, "how much do you drink", well my mum and great nan both died of Pancreatic Cancer and neither drank, my Pancreas is now showing up as pre cancerous on PET scan and also my Lung , now its a question of whether both are primary which would be better but unusual , however my nan died of 2 types, but no one still around that could answer any questions regarding it, or has it spread from the pancreas and is secondary in the lung, i have smoked for many years and am a young 63 year old, so its just waiting for results now, oh and i had breast cancer 6 years ago but lucky, and just had a masectomy, i just feel so guilty for possibly having to leave my family and all the heart ache i will cause them.

My dad died 9 years ago of lung cancer, within 6 weeks of diagnosis, as it had metasticised into his liver. He'd stopped smoking some 15 years earlier but the damage was already done.

Grammaretto my DH died from kidney cancer too, which 5 years later spread to his lungs. I was lucky enough to have him another 7 years while they kept the cancer at bay with surgery and frequent scans. Made lots of memories during those years.

Have a relative who developed lung cancer never having smoked. Was though exposed to cigarettes from a baby to her 20s. Developed cancer in her 40s. Still surviving. Another friend again in 40s died from small cell lung cancer. Never smoked. Only had weeks after diagnosis. A sister in law died when 54 years old from lung cancer. Had been a persistent smoker from a teenager. Hope treatment goes well for Esther.

Even if someone has been a smoker (and l have always loathed the habit) it is still extremely unfair to judge someone for their illness. My father died in 2018 aged 77 from lung cancer. He started smoking when he was about 15, at a time when most people smoked and teenage boys were almost encouraged to do so. The dangers of smoking were not known to the general public at this time. He stopped smoking in the house in the early eighties but could never quite give up altogether, although he managed to cut down from twenty a day to around five. Smoking is very addictive. We are very good at blaming people for their own illnesses in this country. I remember a newspaper article some years ago blaming people’s lifestyles for every health condition under the sun. The parting shot was that Stone Age people and the ancient Egyptians did not suffer diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes or heart attacks. As Stone Age people and the Ancient Egyptians would have thought themselves lucky to live to thirty and these are predominantly diseases of older people it is hardly surprising.

I'm just reading Being Mortal, written by a doctor, it's a wonderful book about quality of life not quantity.

My father in law died of lung cancer few years ago yes he had smoked but gave up 20 years before he got it

A friend of mine has stage four lung cancer (she did smoke but gave up over 30 years ago) but she has decided not to have any treatment after seeing her husband, sister and mother all die from cancer after having a very bad end and awful chemo and radiotherapy. I can't say I blame her - at the moment she is looking and feeling very well - although she does get very tired. Not sure how long she has got - the doctors say with any luck about a year.

Wishing Sarah Ferguson all the best with her recovery.

One of my school friends died of lung cancer 12 years ago. She has never smoked and had the healthiest life style you could imagine. Didn't drink, ate healthily and spent her spare time walking. She was the last person you would expect to get any sort of cancer.

Must get the book.

Esther has been an interesting woman. She still is, love her comments about sex Lucky

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/esther-rantzen-book-cancer-diagnosis-b2363596.html

This is an interesting link - I love "“Sex drives people mad. Probably that’s what it’s for, because if you think about it, if you were sane, would you do such an inelegant, unhygienic thing?” the former host of That’s Life! writes. “Here is the good news. When you’re too old for sex, sanity returns. Here is the bad news. Then, nobody listens to you.”

Spot on Esther - sad news about the ling cancer.