Young Hastings mum calls to ‘let go of the labels’ after ‘missed pieces’ caused late lung cancer diagnosis

But herein lies the problem and the urgent need for us all to stop thinking about lung cancer in such archaic ways in order to speed up diagnosis.

“I feel lung cancer is still very much associated with men, and especially men who smoke or who work with asbestos,” explains Jules.

“It’s a really dangerous misconception because when someone like me goes to the doctor with symptoms, we’re fighting against these stereotypes… and then it’s too late.”

Jules started with a series of what she now knows to be potential lung cancer symptoms – back pain, shoulder pain and a lump in her neck. But it wasn’t until months later that Jules was finally sent for tests.

Jules went on to receive the devastating news that she had stage 4 lung cancer which had spread to her spine and pelvis.

“No one ever joined the dots of my symptoms until it was too late,” continues Jules. “Each symptom was treated individually rather than one potential cause.

“My back pain was treated as sciatica. The pain in my shoulder was thought to be tennis elbow and the lump in my neck was dismissed as a swollen gland.

“I feel these non-respiratory symptoms, coupled with my age and the fact that I had never smoked, is why my lung cancer was caught late.”

Jules is now on a targeted therapy to treat her lung cancer. Dubbing it her magic medicine, Jules is responding well to treatment and is living life the best she can - which includes many wonderful holidays including New York, Mauritius and Rome this year.

But, away from the sunshine and the sights, Jules can’t help but wonder if things could have been different.

“I try and stay as positive as I can,” continues Jules. “I’ve always been passionate about travelling and I’m fortunate that my cancer is stable, and I can continue to explore the world with my husband and son.

“But in the back of my mind, I know it’s temporary. One day, my magic medicine will stop working. As good as this treatment is, it isn’t a cure. My cancer wasn’t caught early enough for that.

“I try not to dwell on that too much because it doesn’t do me any good. But I want my story to help change the narrative and perception of lung cancer.

“I want it to act as a constant reminder that anyone can get this disease because, truly knowing that, could make all the difference to someone else.”

Inspired by Jules's story and the many others like it, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has launched its Let Go of the Labels campaign for lung cancer awareness month, calling for a stop to terms like smoker and never-smoker.

“Lung cancer is still so intrinsically linked to smoking,” explains Paula Chadwick, chief executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, “but the reality is anyone can get this disease, regardless of if they have smoked or not.

“The more people we spoke to, the more we recognised that labels like smoker and non-smoker were having a direct impact on how quickly people were being diagnosed. That is why we are calling for a stop to these archaic labels. Lung cancer doesn’t see them, and neither should we.”

For more information about the Let Go of the Labels campaign, or if you are concerned about symptoms, please visit roycastle.org.