• It's estimated that 1 in 10 smokers will develop lung cancer.

• Smoking is undoubtedly the major cause of lung cancer; however, people can develop lung cancer without smoking.

• According to the Hospital Authority, the risk of smokers developing lung cancer is 20 times higher than that of non-smokers.

• Risk of lung cancer increases substantially after the age of 50.

• The effects of smoking are believed to be accumulative; the younger someone starts smoking, the higher their risk of getting lung cancer. Passive (environmental) or ‘second-hand’ tobacco smoke can also cause lung cancer and should be avoided wherever possible.

The Symptoms

• Prolonged fatigue

• A persistent cough, wheezing and shortness of breath

• Coughing up blood-stained phlegm (sputum)

• Chest discomfort -  this may manifest as a dull ache or a sharp pain when you cough or take a deep breath

• Loss of appetite and loss of weight

Symptoms of more advanced lung cancer include:

• Swelling in the neck, lymph nodes, face and hands

• Abdominal distension

• Bone pain

• A headache

• Partial epilepsy or paralysis of one side of the body

While it is unlikely you will definitely have cancer, if you have any of the above symptoms you should have them checked by your doctor.