Inflatable lung to tour shopping centres

The inflatable lung. It is pink, blue and grey in colour. It is in a shopping centre. Image source, Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance
Image caption,

The inflatable is being toured around the region to help raise awareness of lung cancer

  • Published

A giant inflatable lung will be toured around the Humber and North Yorkshire regions this month.

The 3m (10ft) tall exhibit is being taken around the region by the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance as part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

It will visit supermarkets, shopping centres and community spaces in Grimsby, Hull, Selby, Scunthorpe and York.

The alliance hopes the campaign will help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.

The alliance said about 18,600 men and 16,100 women die from lung cancer in the UK every year, making it the biggest cancer killer in the UK.

Symptoms include:

  • a cough which lasts for three weeks or more

  • fatigue

  • shortness of breath

  • chest pain

  • weight loss

  • appetite loss

The inflatable lung will be in the following locations:

  • 8 November 10:00 to 14:00 GMT: Freeman Street Market, Grimsby

  • 13 November 10:00 to 14:00: North Point Shopping Centre, Hull

  • 18 November 10:00 to 14:00: The Summit cancer cafe, Selby

  • 26 November 10:00 to 13:00: The Ironstone Centre, Scunthorpe

  • 29 November 10:00 to 14:00: Monks Cross Shopping Park, York

Dr Stuart Baugh, clinical programme director for the NHS' targeted lung health check programme in Humber and North Yorkshire, said: “The large inflatable lung is a great tool for helping people to understand how the lungs work, what lung cancer is, and how it looks inside the body.

"There’s no doubt it’ll turn heads this November but we hope it will also get people thinking about lung cancer and help encourage contact with a GP if someone thinks they may be showing signs or symptoms."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here, external.