A 73-year-old former pub landlady was diagnosed with lung cancer after stopping at an NHS mobile clinic during a dog walk, despite having no symptoms. Jean Page, from Stockport, has since had surgery and quit smoking after 50 years, and is urging others to attend screening.
Impromptu check during dog walk
Jean Page was walking her dog, Dolly, when she decided to visit a mobile NHS lung health check clinic parked at Hazel Grove Park and Ride in Stockport. The clinic is part of a programme encouraging smokers and former smokers aged 55 to 75 to get checked when they see the mobile units around Greater Manchester.
A smoker of 50 years, Jean had no symptoms but knew friends who had undergone the screening and decided to follow suit. Inside the clinic, she filled out a questionnaire and had a CT scan. A few days later, she received a follow-up call inviting her for further tests at the hospital.
Diagnosis and treatment
Jean was diagnosed with lung cancer in February. She 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."
She added: "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 was offered support to quit smoking from Wythenshawe Hospital’s onsite stop smoking service, known as CURE. She has successfully quit with help from the team and nicotine replacement patches. In April, she had surgery to remove the cancer and is recovering well.
Call to action and expert support
Jean, a former landlady at The Windsor Castle in Marple, is now back playing Cribbage at the pub she once managed. 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."
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 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." He added that all patients who smoke are offered specialist support, including nicotine replacement, nicotine vapes and medication.
October is Stoptober, and those seeking help to stop smoking can find more information online.
