Yesterday was No Smoking Day and a plea was made by Dr Robert Rintoul following reports that due to smoking, lung cancer among women has soared to a large extent, especially among women who are 60 years and more.

He said, “Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the UK with 33, 0000 lives lost every year. The sooner lung cancer is diagnosed the more option there are for treatment and the better the chance of being cured.”

He further added that chest infection is very persistent among people who have lung cancer and it forms the early signs and other symptoms include weight loss, feeling tired, coughing up blood and breathlessness.

Anyone who is suffering from these symptoms should immediately see a GP.

In 1975 the cases of lung cancer among British women who were 60 and more were about 5,700 but in 2008 the cases went up to 15,100.

Research into cancer is being carried out by Papworth Hospital and every year it sees around 600 patients who are suffering from lung cancer.

It is being figured out if lives can be saved by a routine cancer screening programme like it happens in breast cancer and cancers like cervical and bowel.