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A young mother with lung cancer believes she was diagnosed later than she might have been because she was assumed to be too young, fit and healthy to have the disease.

Jules Fielder, 38, from Hastings, has stage 4 lung cancer, the most advanced stage.

Although her condition is incurable, she is receiving treatment which is keeping her condition stable.

Jules said: "I truly believe my age and the fact that I don't look like someone who would have lung cancer is why I wasn't picked up sooner. Also, I didn't have the more commonly recognised symptoms, such as a persistent cough or breathlessness. At the time, I didn't know that shoulder pain, back pain or a lump in your neck were signs of lung cancer, and I had all of them.”

Jules said she was unable to see her doctor face-to-face during summer 2021 due to coronavirus restrictions and was given exercises to treat suspected ‘tennis elbow’.

She said: "I know now my body was trying to send me a message. To be honest, I’m angry my symptoms weren't pieced together sooner. Instead, I was diagnosed with sciatica for my back pain, tennis elbow for the shoulder pain and a swollen gland for the lump in my neck.’’

Jules lives with her husband Paul and their 13-year-old son, Toby. She is now helping to promote the latest awareness campaign by Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, called On the Right Path.

The campaign runs throughout November and aims to ensure all patients receive the appropriate treatment as early as possible.

The charity said lung cancer can be difficult to diagnose early, as symptoms can be vague and overlap with those of Covid, flu and other respiratory illnesses.

Jules added: "I still feel like I'm in a bad dream, but I have made peace with it now. I don't live with cancer; it lives with me. I am the one in control and I am choosing to share my story to raise awareness lung cancer can happen to anyone.

"I always thought of lung cancer as a man’s illness, maybe someone that worked in the asbestos industry, or who was a heavy smoker. We need to break those presumptions, that stigma, and I will do everything in my power to help get this message out there."

Hastings mum, 38, believes lung cancer was not spotted earlier because of her age