Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley is backing a new campaign to raise awareness of lung cancer signs and symptoms after losing both her grandmother and her close friend and co-star Leah Bracknell to the disease.
Riley, 50, who plays Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap, is the face of the Don't Delay – Every Breath Matters campaign, which launches this week. The campaign comes as new research reveals widespread confusion and stigma around the causes of lung cancer.
Campaign Launches Amid New Research
Commissioned by specialist cancer-care provider GenesisCare, the research shows that 70% of people are unaware of all the signs and symptoms of lung cancer, while almost half do not know that those who have never smoked can still develop the disease. Among people who have experienced symptoms that could indicate lung cancer, 57% admit they have delayed seeking medical advice.
Nearly 40,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in England alone each year, and it remains the UK's deadliest cancer, claiming more lives than any other type. It is also the biggest cause of cancer deaths among British women. Almost one in 10 people diagnosed with the disease have never smoked.
Personal Loss Drives Campaign
For Riley, the campaign is deeply personal. In 2002, her grandmother dismissed her symptoms as "just a smoker's cough" and delayed seeking help until it was too late. Riley also lost Bracknell, who played Zoe Tate on the soap, to the disease in 2019 at the age of 55, despite Bracknell never having smoked.
Bracknell, a trained yoga teacher, experienced breathlessness so severe she found it difficult to use the stairs. Her diagnosis came after she was rushed to hospital with a heart problem, which was subsequently found to be a side effect of her lung cancer.
"Lung cancer has taken away two very special women in my life," says Riley. "Watching my grandmother's rapid deterioration from her lung cancer diagnosis to her passing away was an extremely challenging time. She was always my biggest support through drama school and my career, and I just wish it had been caught sooner."
Stigma and Early Intervention
Riley is passionate about removing the stigma associated with lung cancer. "We need to make it easier for people, regardless of whether they've ever smoked or not, to recognise when something isn't right, speak to their doctor and get the right support and treatment as quickly as possible," she says.
"Of the 40,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer in England each year, one in 10 have never smoked – many more people need to be aware of this. I also didn't realise that lung cancer is more common in female non-smokers than in male non-smokers. If more people recognise the symptoms and seek help sooner, outcomes can be improved."
Riley's grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer in May 2002 and passed away that September at the age of 69. "She was a smoker, and suffered a terrible cough," Riley recalls. "I think she must have known it could be something sinister, but she really didn't want to bother her GP – or her family. By the time she had her X-ray, the mass was so big, it must have been there a long time. I desperately wish she had gone to see someone sooner."
New Pathway for Faster Diagnosis
The campaign launches alongside a Lung Cancer Rapid Response Pathway, which will be available at a new specialist cancer centre opening in Leeds. The service aims to transform the speed of access and coordination of care, helping patients reach a diagnosis and treatment plan as quickly as possible.
Research shows that reducing the time taken to diagnose lung cancer from 29 days to 15 days was associated with an increase in post-treatment median survival from 312 days to 503 days. Dr Kevin Franks, consultant clinical oncologist at GenesisCare, says: "The new GenesisCare centre in Leeds will give people with lung cancer greater certainty, faster decisions and earlier access to the treatment that is right for them."
Anyone experiencing symptoms such as a persistent cough, unexplained breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss or ongoing fatigue should seek medical advice.
