Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

Spooky Welly Walk | 19th October 2024 This October, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is back casting spells over Sefton Park with our much-loved Halloween-themed fundraising walk!

On 26th June 2023, lung cancer screening was finally given the green light. It was the news we had been waiting for for decades.

Our push for screening started 30 years early in May 1993 when we awarded the first grant of its kind to study early genetic changes in lung cancer. This work laid the groundwork for screening high risk individuals. Six years later, we received funding for the first mobile UK lab to recruit high risk individuals into the Liverpool Lung Project, which marked the start of a lung cancer risk prediction model now used within today’s targeted lung health check programme.

Screening should be full implemented in 2028, and with it up to 9000 lives (like our lovely Jeff who's in this pic) saved every year. We are campaigning for similar programmes to start operating in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We now live in a world where there are more treatments than ever before for lung cancer, helping to live well with all stages of the disease.

Access to life saving treatments was what our charity was built on; our founder Prof Ray Donnelly was a thoracic surgeon and wanted to be able to help more people. In 1991, Prof Ray Donnelly performed the first removal of a lung cancer by keyhole surgery. Now, surgeons are able to remove a whole lung through keyhole surgery.

Alongside traditional treatments such as chemo and radiotherapy, we now have new targeted treatments and immunotherapies and just a few weeks ago news broke of a new clinical trial of a lung cancer vaccine.

Roy Castle shone a spotlight on lung cancer and we continue to do the same. From our online awareness campaigns to running community engagement events, just like Roy we put the focus on lung cancer and its symptoms, challenge misconceptions and eradicate stigma.

Seven years ago – before the NHS roll out of lung health checks - we funded a lung cancer screening pilot in Nottingham. That’s when we first met Bill Simpson.

Bill’s lung cancer was caught early through our screening programme and he went on to be the poster-boy for screening, interviewed by the media and starring in photo shoots.

Sadly, Bill passed away earlier this year but not from lung cancer. Screening gave him many more years with his wife and son and for that, we are very proud.

For over a decade, we have been funding lung cancer clinical research fellowships to develop the future generations of lung cancer researchers.

Our first fellow was Dr Emma O’Dowd who you might recognise from the BBC Breakfast sofa this morning! Since completing her fellowship, Dr O’Dowd became the clinical lead for the DECLINE project which aimed to understand why people turn down the chance of curative treatment for lung cancer, a project we also funded. A paper has since been published in the Journal Oncology and Therapy.

Thank you to the BBC for highlighting Roy's legacy, 30 years after his passing. Watch the full segment featuring Fiona Castle and Dr Emma O'Dowd on our YouTube channel now:

Fiona Castle & Dr Emma O'Dowd reflect on Roy Castle's legacy 30 years on | BBC Breakfast Interview

We’re in the Capital building today in Liverpool promoting our Smoke Free for September campaign! Drop by and say hi - we’re here to help you kick the habit 💙

In 2012, our charity launched its national lung cancer research grants programme, inviting researchers from around the country to submit funding applications for projects.

Professor Sam Janes from UCL is one of many researchers we’ve funded over the last 14 years.

Prof Janes work includes developing a mouth swap to diagnose lung cancer, devising a model which mimics the lung to understand the early stages of cancer development and a world-first project: Immune surveillance in clinical regress of pre-invasive squamous cell lung cancer which basically means understanding why some changes in body tissue eventually develop into cancer while others do not.

Get the kettle on tomorrow about 8am because the wonderful Fiona Castle with researcher and charity trustee Dr Emma O’Dowd will be on BBC Breakfast to mark the 30th anniversary of Roy’s death and reflect on the charity’s achievements over the past 3 decades.
TUNE IN @ 8.15

No one should have to go through lung cancer alone. That’s why in 1997 we opened our patient information and support office to provide help to those affected by lung cancer.

The office is still going strong and demand for our support services – including Ask the Nurse helpline, online support sessions, community-based information days and jargon-free literature – continues to grow.

Smoking bans have been in the news A LOT recently but our charity was very much behind the original smoking ban in public places that came into effect in 2007.

It was something Fiona Castle was particularly passionate about as Roy’s lung cancer was caused by the passive smoke he breathed in playing his trumpet in jazz clubs.

Similar to now, the proposed bans were met with a fair amount of scepticism and criticism but its impact and the likely lives saved now speaks volumes.

This is the construction of the Roy Castle International Centre for Lung Cancer Research. The centre was built in Liverpool and would be the world’s first research facility dedicated solely to lung cancer.

It was the money raised from the Tour of Hope that set the wheels in motion to build the centre and prioritise lung cancer research. The centre opened in 1998 and led the way in lung cancer research.

Fiona Castle looks back on what has been achieved over the last three decades in the treatment of lung cancer since the passing of her husband.

“To see how far we’ve come is quite staggering,” reflects Fiona. “When Roy was diagnosed with lung cancer, the outlook was so bleak. The chances of catching it early were slim and treatments limited. Now we’re seeing more people diagnosed far sooner, with many ways to treat all stages of the disease.”

https://buff.ly/4e7GI5q

Today marks 30 years since Roy's passing, a true legend who inspired millions with his talent, determination, and heart 🎺💫

His legacy lives on, reminding us that dedication and kindness can change the world.

Remembering Roy Castle (31st August 1932-2nd September 1994), a.k.a. the alternative Ian Chesterton in the movie Dr. Who and the Daleks, on the 30th anniversary of his passing.

Missed our Travelling with Lung Cancer webinar earlier today? No probs, we know you're busy! That's why we recorded the session so you can watch it when you get the chance.

Hosted by founder of Fiona Macrae, the session offers help and advice about minimising the cost of your travel insurance. Fiona also answered questions from people living with lung cancer who are keen to get some much-needed time away.

Here are some images from Richard's big golf charity day! Richard has been a dedicated supporter of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation for several years, and we're so grateful he chose our charity for his golf club's fundraising event. The day was filled with fun challenges, and thanks to everyone who attended, an incredible £5,000 was raised! ⛳

These two smiling faces have been chatting the socks off shoppers at the Spindles Shopping Centre in Oldham all day about the Greater Manchester lung health check and general lung cancer awareness.

These events are SO important. We need to make lung cancer an easier subject to talk about. Be open and honest and lovely Mike and Mel are the best around! Awesome work as always guys

Today is a very exciting, and potentially monumental day, in our fight against lung cancer...

First UK patient to receive new lung cancer vaccine: https://buff.ly/3WPES1K

We have some VERY exciting news...

Professor Ray Donnelly MBE FRCS will be at our Southport store on Tuesday 27th August from 11am to 1.30pm meeting supporters and signing his new book, Ray: Recollections of A Busy Surgeon.

Ray founded our charity back in 1990, and it's safe to say that we wouldn't be where we are today without him.

Shop address: 115 Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1PU

A successful day at Liverpool's passport office for Chelsea, Becca, Mike and Mel as they met with the public to discuss our new Smoke Free for September campaign!

Think you can quit smoking or va**ng this September? ➡️ https://buff.ly/4dDSMvq

We have day events coming up for people affected by lung cancer. Our Information Days are friendly events that offer the latest information on treatment, support, ways of looking after yourself, practical advice and an opportunity to share with others living with lung cancer.

Our next event is in Dundee on Wednesday 28th August

If you are interested in attending or would like to see an event in your area, do get in touch. You can call us on 0333 323 7200 option 2 or email [email protected].