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November Cancer Awareness
Posted or Updated on 12 Nov 2025
RECOGNISE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER
- A persistent cough.
- Coughing up phlegm (sputum) with blood in it.
- Breathlessness – becoming out of breath doing things that you used to do without a problem.
- Chest and/shoulder aches and pains.
- Recurrent chest infections.
- Unexplained tiredness or lack of energy.
- Unexplained weight/appetite loss.
- A change in a long term cough or a cough that gets worse. It may sound different or be painful when you cough.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms contact your GP surgery to arrange an appointment.
The likelihood is that everything will be ok, but it is always better to be safe and be checked over.
Risk factors:
- Smoking
- Passive smoking
- Environment
- Polluted air
- Heredity
- Viruses
- Exposure to radon gas
- Age
- Diseases
- Fast food
- Alcohol
For more information about lung cancer and spotting the early symptoms please take a look at the flyer below:
Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the pancreas, an organ responsible for digestion and hormone production. This cancer often remains undetected for months or even years, as it typically presents with vague symptoms. Early signs may include back or stomach pain, which often leads individuals to delay seeking medical assistance until the cancer has advanced and spread. As a result, most cases are diagnosed at later stages, where a cure is seldom achievable. Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include smoking, diabetes, a family history of the disease, and chronic pancreatitis.
For more information about pancreatic cancer, please visit the below area of our website.
The sooner mouth cancer is detected the much better chance there is of beating it.
The most common symptoms are:
- Mouth ulcers that are painful and do not heal within several weeks
- Unexplained, persistent lumps in the mouth or the neck that do not go away
- Unexplained loose teeth or sockets that do not heal after extractions
- Unexplained, persistent numbness or an odd feeling on the lip or tongue
- Sometimes, white or red patches on the lining of the mouth or tongue These can be early signs of cancer, so they should also be checked
- Changes in speech, such as a lisp
Many of these can be caused by less serious conditions however, it is strongly recommended that you see your GP or dentist if any of these last longer than 3 weeks particularly if you drink or smoke.
Around 8,300 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer each year in the UK, which is about 1 in every 50 cancers diagnosed.
Preventing mouth cancer
The most effective ways of preventing mouth cancer from happening, or stopping it from coming back after successful treatment, are:
- Don’t leave a mouth ulcer unattended for more than three weeks.
- Don’t ignore any unusual lumps or swellings or red and white patches in your mouth.
- Regularly check your own mouth, lips, cheeks, head and neck for anything out of the ordinary.
- Not smoking or using tobacco in other ways, such as not chewing tobacco
- Ensuring you do not drink more than the recommended weekly guideline for alcohol
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes fresh vegetables (particularly tomatoes), citrus fruits, olive oil and fish
It’s also important that you have regular dental check-ups. A dentist can often spot the early stages of mouth cancer.
For more information on mouth/oral cancer please see the websites below:
Or take a look at these website pages provided by the mouth cancer foundation.