Top doctor reveals little-known voice change that could be a sign of cancer on the rise among young people

A leading lung health specialist has warned against dismissing a common winter health problem as it could indicate underlying cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in Britain and responsible for a fifth of cancer deaths in the country.

While many associate a persistent cough with the disease, Dr. MeiLan Han, professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Michigan, advises watching out for a lesser-known throat problem: a hoarse voice.

In her book Breathing Lessons: A Doctor’s Guide to Lung Health, she explained: ‘This is because the cancer touches or invades the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which runs down into the thoracic cavity, under the arch of the aorta and back. to the larynx [the voice box].

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation also warns about this symptom.

“In most cases, the problem goes away on its own after a short time,” the charity said. ‘However, if you have longer periods of hoarseness, please contact your GP practice.’

The charity warns of other less common symptoms of the disease to look out for, such as chest or shoulder pain, difficulty swallowing and even back pain.

According to the UK Lung Cancer Coalition, about 40 percent of patients are not diagnosed until the disease becomes so severe that they need to go to the emergency room, which usually means the cancer has spread.

Struggling with a hoarse voice for a long time could be a sign of underlying lung cancer, experts warn

Once the disease has spread to other parts of the body, patients have only a 15 percent chance of surviving more than five years after their diagnosis.

Figures from Cancer Research UK show that only one in ten of those diagnosed with the disease will live another ten years.

Experts say this is exactly why noticing early signs is crucial. Patients who detect lung cancer at an early stage have a 65 percent chance of living another five years.

The charity adds: ‘The type of cancer can also affect your survival. The type means which type of cell the cancer originated from.

‘Your general health and fitness also influence survival. The fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and the treatment.’

Other more common symptoms of lung cancer include persistent coughing, shortness of breath and repeated respiratory infections.

Previous UK screening programs have shown that early identification of the disease can dramatically improve lung cancer survival.

In 2016, doctors from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Papworth Hospital and Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital carried out a ground-breaking study that took x-rays of 2,000 people at high risk of lung cancer.

Top lung cancer expert Dr MeiLan Han has previously warned about the ‘increased impact’ of the disease on women, compared to men.

The results of the study showed that monitoring this group of patients increased the chance of survival by 73 percent.

The research prompted action from the Conservative government, which promised to introduce a nationally targeted lung screening program in England, involving people aged between 55 and 74 with a history of smoking.

According to Cancer Research UK, the rollout will still take place as the program plans to do so reach 40 percent of the eligible population by 2025 and reach 100 percent coverage by March 2030.

However, experts have raised some concerns that the screening will not benefit younger people with the disease, whose numbers are rising.

According to a 2017 study, lung cancer rates among British never-smokers doubled between 2008 and 2014.

Another 2023 report from the American Cancer Society found that more women between the ages of 35 and 54 are now diagnosed with lung cancer than men of the same age.

Meanwhile, lung cancer doctors in the US have reported increasingly younger cases.

One theory for the increase in cases among young people involves exposure to pollutants.

A recent Canadian study found that those exposed to high levels of pollution throughout their lives are more likely to develop genetic mutations known to increase the risk of aggressive lung cancer.

Commenting on their findings, the authors from the British Columbia Cancer Research Institute in Vancouver said: ‘This suggests a potential impact of recent exposure to PM2.5 [pollutant particles] about lung cancer in people who have never smoked, especially among women.’