RESIDENTS of the West Midlands are being urged to pay more attention to symptoms associated with three of the biggest killer diseases in the UK.

The Be Clear on Cancer campaign launched by Public Health England (PHE) focuses on lung cancer, which causes the most cancer deaths, lung disease and coronary heart disease – the single biggest cause of death in the UK.

In the West Midlands alone 3,860 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. And nationally lung cancer accounts for 28,400 deaths a year, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease accounts for 24,000 deaths and coronary heart disease kills 56,000 people in the UK each year.

PHE is urging people to take notice if they develop a persistent cough or get out of breath doing everyday tasks such as mowing the lawn or vacuuming. This could be a sign or lung cancer or other lung diseases and breathlessness is also a symptom of heart disease.

The campaign - aimed at men and women aged 50 and over as they are more at risk - encourages anyone experiencing these symptoms to see their GP as finding these conditions early makes them more treatable.

Dr Lola Abudu, director for Health and Wellbeing at PHE West Midlands, said: “If lung cancer, lung disease or heart disease is diagnosed early, they can be managed and treated successfully.

“This campaign will help people recognise the symptoms and encourage them to seek help, potentially saving lives from what are three of the biggest causes of death in England.

“Current figures show there are around 199,913 people in the region with coronary heart disease, while 108,367 people are managing the effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“Each year in the West Midlands something like 3,860 people are diagnosed with lung cancer, while around 3,073 people will lose their life to the disease.

“It is vital that people go to the doctor as soon as they think something may be wrong, as early diagnosis makes all of these conditions more treatable.

“If you’ve had a cough for three weeks or more or if you get out of breath doing things you used to be able to do – like vacuuming or mowing the lawn – it could be a sign of lung or heart disease, or even lung cancer. So don’t ignore it, go and see your doctor.”

Media medic Dr Hilary Jones added: “People may put off visiting their GP for a number of reasons. Some may not realise a symptom like a persistent cough or getting out of breath doing things that you used to be able to do could be a sign of something serious, or they may be fearful of what they will find out, or even worry about wasting their GP’s time.

“These symptoms may well be nothing to worry about, but if it is something serious then the sooner it’s diagnosed, the better the chances of treating it effectively. Anyone who has either of these symptoms should visit their GP – don’t worry about wasting our time, we want to see you.”

For more information about the symptoms of lung cancer, other lung diseases and heart disease visit http://www.nhs.uk/be-clear-on-cancer?WT.mc_id=search_google_bcoc_paidsearch&WT.srch=1&gclid=COavquPrk84CFULGGwodfcUAFg#y3iFSFQbvkJVXiI6.97