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Excitement builds as a new vaccine designed to prime the immune system to recognise and fight lung cancer is tested on UK patients for the first time.

Researchers leading the trial have said that BioNTech’s BNT116 vaccine could improve survival rates among people with the disease, and hope that it could eventually become the standard of care worldwide.

It works by presenting the immune system with tumour markers from non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, to prime the body to fight cancer cells expressing these markers.

But what is lung cancer and what warning signs do we need to look out for?

What is lung cancer and what causes it?

“Lung cancer is a disease that occurs when cells in the lungs grow out of control,” explains Rachel Rawson, lead cancer nurse at virtual cancer clinic Perci Health. “Cancer that begins in the lungs is called primary lung cancer. Cancer that spreads to the lungs from another place in the body is known as secondary lung cancer.”

Smoking is the biggest cause of lung cancer, but you can still get it even if you’ve never smoked.

“Smoking cigarettes is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It’s responsible for more than seven out of 10 cases,” says Rawson. “Frequent exposure to other people’s tobacco smoke (passive smoking) can also increase your risk of developing lung cancer.”

Dr Brian O’Connor, consultant in respiratory medicine at Cromwell Hospital, adds: “Your risk of lung cancer is related to how much you smoke, how long you’ve been smoking for and when you started smoking.”

The consultant also explained that although lung cancer is far more common in adults over 65, it is still possible to develop lung cancer at a younger age.

“This common misconception could mean that young people are less likely to be screened or seek medical help for symptoms,” explains O’Connor.

What are the main warning signs to look out for?

Dr Rachel Orritt, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, encourages anyone experiencing any of the following symptoms to contact their local GP, just to be safe.

Persistent coughing

“This could be a cough that’s not gone away or not responded to treatment.” says Orritt. “It could also be a change or worsening of a cough that you’ve had for a while.”

Getting out of breath

“This could be feeling short of breath when doing activities that you used to do with no problem, or having other difficulties breathing,” says Orritt.

Coughing up blood

Even if it is just a small amount of blood in your phlegm, don’t ignore it.

Aches and pains

Another common symptom of lung cancer is an unexplained ache or pain in your chest or shoulder, adds Orritt.

Infections

If you are experiencing a chest infection that keeps coming back and doesn’t get better with treatment, flag this up with your GP.

Losing your appetite

Losing your appetite is usually a good indicator that something internally is wrong.

Fatigue

“This could be tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest, or feeling tired when doing activities you used to do with no problem,” says Orritt.

Losing weight

Losing weight without changing your eating patterns or activity levels is another red flag.

“It can be tempting to put changes down to getting older or another health condition,” says Orritt. “But it’s important to get your doctor’s advice if you notice anything that’s not normal for you or isn’t going away.

“In most cases it won’t be cancer, but if it is, catching it at an early stage can make a real difference.”

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