ALK+ lung cancer patient support & advocacy charity #ifyouhavelungsyoucangetlungcancer

United Kingdom
Joined July 2018
This #LungCancerAwarenessMonth our message is simple - anyone can get #LungCancer - #AllYouNeedIsLungs 🫁 Misunderstandings delay diagnoses, leading to poorer outcomes. Visit allyouneedislungs.org.uk/ to read real stories. A joint initiative by @UKALK1, @EGFRUK & @RuthStraussFdn. @BTOGORG @LCN_UK @BOPACommittee @ScottishLungs @LungCommunity @WelshThoracic @radiotherapy_uk @UKlungcancer @LungCancerEu @globalungcancer @TakdaOncology @Pfizer_UK @Roche @nuvalent @GuardantHealth
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What a weekend. 💙 The ALK Positive UK National Conference 2026 closes today at the Radisson Red, Heathrow, and I'm leaving with a full heart and a long to-do list. For many of the patients and families in the room, this weekend is the one place where everyone just *gets it*. Newly diagnosed patients sitting alongside people who've been living with ALK-positive lung cancer for years. Questions asked openly. Experiences shared without having to explain. Thank you to every speaker who gave their time so generously: 🔹 Dr Tom Newsom-Davis for a brilliant Friday night keynote 🔹 Professor Sanjay Popat for his video welcome 🔹 Dr David Gilligan on clinical trials 🔹 Richard Bayliss on cancer signalling pathways 🔹 Rachel Patel with practical advice from the pharmacy 🔹 Fiona Macrae on the ever-thorny issue of travel insurance 🔹 Joanna Vick and our three patient panellists, who spoke so honestly about coping with the stress and anxiety of living with ALK+ lung cancer 🔹 Professor Alastair Greystoke and Dr Joanne Evans for the breakout sessions on side effects and progression 🔹 Roxane Chen for the update on her research 🔹 Dr Natalie Doyle on survivorship 🔹 Dr Shobhit Baijal for fielding our open Q&A And the biggest thank you of all to our members, who travelled from across the UK and Ireland to be here. You are the reason we do this. We are grateful to Roche Products Limited, Nuvalent Inc, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer UK and Guardant Health for their grants, and to Emma Britton, Libby Thirwell, Kevin O'Connell and Ross Bissell for their donations. None had any control over the conference content. Presentations will be shared on our website for anyone who couldn't join us in person. #ALKPositive #LungCancer #PatientAdvocacy #LungCancerAwareness #TargetedTherapy #PatientVoice
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Just one more day until….
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8 years ago today we had our very first meet-up which was the start of ALK+ Lung Cancer UK’s journey! 💙 In 2018, with no UK support groups for ALK+ lung cancer patients, Debra Montague, our Chair, reached out to fellow UK patients on a US forum. There were 18 attendees at the meet-up and we were incredibly fortunate to have Professor @DrSanjayPopat , one of the UK’s foremost experts in ALK+, join us. Since then, he has become a loyal supporter of our charity. Our charity now has a team of Regional Ambassadors who organise regular meet-ups for ALK-positive patients all across the country. We have our 5th 3-Day National Conference in September and we also have a thriving Facebook support group, with 850 members. Our focus has always been to support everyone affected by ALK+ across the UK and empower them to be their own advocates, demanding the best care to live their best lives for as long as possible. We’re committed to putting our community first and that will never change.
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Living with lung cancer often means carrying a lot that doesn’t show. In January, we’re running TALK+ Emotional Wellbeing taster sessions for our UK ALK+ lung cancer community led by experienced cancer coach Jane Woods. These sessions are a chance to try it out first, and then decide if a full course feels right. What is a taster session? • Online • Around 1 hour • Free and fully subsidised • No pressure to talk • No commitment to continue Taster session dates: • Monday 19 January 2026 - for people living with ALK+ lung cancer • Monday 27 January 2026 - for partners, family members and carers If it feels helpful, attendees can then choose whether to join one of our new 6-week TALK+ courses starting later in 2026. Please tell your ALK-positive pt’s @LCNUK @ScottishLungs @LungCommunity @IrishLungCancer @WelshThoracic @NationalPharmPK @onctrainees 👉 Book onto a taster session now Simple click to book. Limited spaces in each session. 🔗 linktr.ee/alkpositivelungcan… linktr.ee/alkpositivelungcan…
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Pharmacists play a key front-line role in spotting lung cancer early - especially in younger women. Lung cancer is still widely overlooked in this group. Many young women are sent back and forth for treatment of a “persistent cough” long before anyone thinks about lung cancer. Yet delays are common, and diagnosis at a late stage is still the norm. • Only 16% of people with lung cancer in the UK survive more than five years, often because they’re diagnosed too late. • Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is now the UK’s 8th most common cause of cancer-related death. See Through the Symptoms is an award-winning joint campaign from ALK Positive Lung Cancer UK EGFR Positive Lung Cancer UK and the Ruth Strauss Foundation, created to help health-care professionals spot lung cancer in people who don’t fit the usual profile. If a younger woman keeps returning to your pharmacy with a cough that isn’t getting better, it’s worth considering lung cancer and encouraging follow-up with her GP. @rpharms @RPS_Wales @NPA1921 @nabp Www.seethroughthesymptoms.uk
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We’re only in week three of Lung Cancer Awareness Month and we’ve already hit one million views. Thank you so much to everyone who signed up to be part of this year’s campaign. Whether you shared your story, helped spread the word, or supported quietly in the background, you’ve helped us get this message out there. A special thank-you to our 30 voices for All You Need Is Lungs 2025. Your stories show just how varied and complex the lung cancer experience is. Reaching more than a million impressions is a huge moment for us and it wouldn’t have happened without you. If you haven’t seen the stories yet, we’d love you to take a look. allyouneedislungs.org.uk @BTOGORG @LCN_UK @bscardioonc @LungCommunity @WelshThoracic @ScottishLungs @LungCancerEu @globalungcancer @LungPolicy @uicc
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Because #lungcancer doesn’t have one face. And it doesn’t only happen to one kind of person. This #LungCancerAwarenessMonth we’re sharing over 30 new voices from our awareness campaign #AllYouNeedisLungs people of all ages, backgrounds & experiences - helping others recognise the signs of lung cancer sooner. Anyone can get lung cancer. #AllYouNeedIsLungs 💙 A joint initiative by ALK Positive UK @EgfrUk @RuthStraussFdn allyouneedislungs.org.uk #LCSM
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Today the Wales Cancer Alliance launches Fixing the Foundations - a manifesto calling for stronger cancer care in Wales. As a member of the Alliance, ALK+ Lung Cancer UK supports this call. Every year around 19,500 people in Wales are diagnosed with cancer, and too many face long waits for diagnosis, tests and treatment. The manifesto sets out four vital recommendations for the next Welsh Government: 1️⃣ A new long-term cancer strategy for Wales 2️⃣ Strong and consistent leadership of cancer services 3️⃣ Involving people with cancer and the third sector in shaping services 4️⃣ Robust data on services, experience and outcomes to drive improvement @WelshThoracic @NHSWales @EgfrUk @ros1dersuk @OncogeneCancer @RoyCastle
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One of our most popular conference features is back for 2025! At this year’s ALK+ UK National Conference, we’re bringing back the head-to-head debate between two leading oncologists - a session that had the room completely engaged last time. 🧠 Should people with ALK+ lung cancer have routine brain imaging even without symptoms? THE REMATCH: DEBATE 🆚 Dr Thomas Newsom-Davis (President of BRITISH THORACIC ONCOLOGY GROUP (BTOG) ) 🆚 Professor Alastair Greystoke (Northern Centre for Cancer Care) 📅 Today - Saturday 27 September · 16:00 Expect evidence, disagreement, honesty - and time for questions. 📍 Radisson Red, London Heathrow 💙 For people in the UK living with ALK+ lung cancer
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Today is #WorldLungDay & also marks the next step in our 2025 All You Need Is Lungs campaign 💟 10 🆕 voices are here! Thank you to everyone who’s taken part - together you’re showing that anyone can get #lungcancer. 🫁 All You Need Is Lungs is a UK-wide awareness campaign from @UKALK1 @EgfrUk & the @RuthStraussFdn. It’s here to shift assumptions, raise awareness, & help more people get diagnosed earlier. We’re also a finalist for Best Charity/Non-Profit Campaign in this year’s UK Social Media Awards 🎉 @dontpanicevents #WorldLungDay #LCSM
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Just 2 weeks to go until the final day of our 2025 ALK+ UK Lung Cancer National Conference and we’re getting ready for some big news. On Sunday morning, our Chair Debra Montague will be delivering a charity update – including some major announcements that will also be shared on our social channels. If you’re coming to the conference, make sure you’re there on Sunday at 09:30. You won’t want to miss it! 📍 Radisson Red, London Heathrow 📅 26–28 September 2025 💙 Free to attend for anyone in the UK living with ALK+ lung cancer (plus one guest – travel & accommodation included) 🔗 It’s not too late to book lnkd.in/e5Z8PFw6
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Alice’s persistent cough and breathlessness were first misdiagnosed as asthma, then pneumonia. After two months in hospital, further tests finally revealed stage 4 ROS1-positive lung cancer. “I’m Alice, 39, a full-on extrovert and a walking passport! Born in Malaysia, raised in Thailand, studied in France - now sipping tea in the UK like a retired Bond villain.” Alice is one of 10 voices in our All You Need Is Lungs 2025 preview – showing that anyone can get lung cancer. Now in its third year and a finalist in the 2025 Social Media Awards, All You Need Is Lungs is a collaborative campaign by ALK Positive Lung Cancer UK, @EgfrUk and the @RuthStraussFdn
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To all the UK HCP’s attending #wclc2025 please see the invitation below. This report is the largest globally and provides real insights into the mental health challenges patients with lung cancer face and how you can support your patients. @BTOGORG @LCN_UK @UKlungcancer @irishthoracicS @WelshThoracic @ScottishLungs
Join us LIVE at #ESMO25 for the launch of the largest global survey on lung cancer & mental health - 2,200 voices, 31 countries. ⏳ Limited spaces - book yours now. 📅 18 Oct | 18:30 | Berlin | Patient Advocacy Hub #LCSM eventbrite.co.uk/e/10th-luce…
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Just 4 weeks to go! 🎉 and we’re excited to share the full programme for our 2025 ALK+ Lung Cancer UK National Conference. It’s going to be our biggest event yet with 184 people registered and it’s not too late to register. This free weekend is for anyone in the UK living with ALK+ lung cancer, plus one guest. Travel and accommodation are covered, and there’s plenty of time to connect, learn, and feel supported. 170 people registered so you are bound to find someone to chat to. 📍 Radisson Red, London Heathrow 📅 26–28 September 2025 🔗 lnkd.in/e5Z8PFw6 @BTOGORG @LCN_UK @UKlungcancer @irishthoracicS @WelshThoracic @ScottishLungs
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What you see on the surface is only part of the story. Supporting someone with lung cancer can mean living with fear, uncertainty, exhaustion and grief that often stays hidden. Our free TALK+ Emotional Wellbeing course offers a safe space to share what it’s really like, connect with others, and find tools that make it a little lighter to carry. 💻 Online | 6 weeks | Starts 15 Sept | Led by cancer coach Jane Woods. This group course is specifically for loved ones of someone with ALK+ in the UK. @BTOGORG @LCN_UK @UKlungcancer @ScottishLungs @WelshThoracic @irishthoracicS
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Just 5 weeks to go! 🎉 and we’re excited to share the full programme for our 2025 ALK+ Lung Cancer UK National Conference. It’s going to be our biggest event yet and it’s not too late to register. This free weekend is for anyone in the UK living with ALK+ lung cancer, plus one guest. Travel and accommodation are covered, and there’s plenty of time to connect, learn, and feel supported. 170 people registered so you are bound to find someone to chat to. 📍 Radisson Red, London Heathrow 📅 26–28 September 2025 🔗 lnkd.in/e5Z8PFw6
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Sylvie’s back pain was dismissed as sciatica but it was actually a sign of lung cancer. “I’m Sylvie, a 48 year old mum of 3 who adores travelling. I was working as a leaseholder manager when my symptoms began - back pain that was first dismissed as sciatica. In November 2023, I was finally diagnosed with stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer.” Sylvie is one of 10 voices in our All You Need Is Lungs 2025 preview - showing that anyone can get lung cancer. Now in its third year and a finalist in the 2025 Social Media Awards All You Need Is Lungs is a collaborative campaign by ALK+ UK, EGFR+ UK and the Ruth Strauss Foundation.
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Are you a healthcare professional working in oncology or haematology? The SWITCH study - NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) funded - is seeking views on brand changes in oral SACT. 📝 10-minute survey 💻 Option to join an online focus group (£25 voucher) Take part here 👉 lnkd.in/e_fZ35P8 @BTOGORG @UKLCC @irishthoracicS @ScottishLungs
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