A LUNG cancer survivor is joining forces with health bosses to educate people about the symptoms after shock figures revealed the number of cases in Jaywick was more than four times the national average.

Jackie Sherratt, of Clacton, helped launch the 'Know the Signs' campaign in Jaywick, alongside staff from Green Elms Medical Centre and County Hall’s public health team.

Cancer UK figures released to the Jaywick medical centre revealed a worrying number of patients referred to them with suspected lung cancer compared with the rest of England.

For the years 2015-16, it was 462 per 100,000 compared with 103 per 100,000 for the whole of England.

This meant Green Elms Medical Centre had four times more cases of suspected lung cancer than national average.

Free health checks were offered at the launch event at Golf Green Hall, in Jaywick, and a nurse on-site carried out lung cancer screenings.

Mrs Sherratt, who has been cancer-free for three years, is telling people about the importance of early detection.

She said: “I was diagnosed with lung cancer eight years ago. It all started with pneumonia.

“However, after the pneumonia I still wasn’t getting any better – I had a cough, was losing weight rapidly, felt very lethargic and just not myself.

“My GP then sent me for an X-ray which showed a tumour on my lung.

“It wasn’t long after being diagnosed, I had surgery to remove it, but while operating another tumour was found behind it, which they also removed.”

Mrs Sherratt says she owes her life to the disease having being diagnosed, and acted on, promptly.

She added: “I consider myself lucky the cancer was found at an early stage otherwise I may not be here now.

"So I would urge anyone, if you have got any signs or symptoms, the quicker you go to your GP the quicker you can get it sorted.”

For more information, visit essex.gov.uk/jaywickKTS.