Widow of Roy Castle pays tribute to his legacy in lung cancer research 30 years on from his death

Roy Castle, who lived in Cleveleys as a young performer, died of lung cancer on September 2, 1994.

In the final two months of his life, Roy embarked on a tour of the country with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation , formerly known as the Lung Cancer Fund.

The tour aimed to raise awareness and funds for lung cancer research.

While the Tour of Hope was Roy’s final curtain call, it marked the beginning of a new era for lung cancer.

His wife, Fiona Castle, believes the late entertainer would think they had done something “worthwhile” as she looked back on what has been achieved over the last three decades in the treatment of lung cancer.

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“To see how far we’ve come is quite staggering,” she said.

“When Roy was diagnosed with lung cancer, the outlook was so bleak. The chances of catching it early were slim and treatments limited.

“Now we’re seeing more people diagnosed far sooner, with many ways to treat all stages of the disease.”

The money raised from the Tour of Hope set the wheels in motion to fund the world’s first lung cancer research centre.

Fiona added: “Roy always said he was doing the tour for ‘our children and our children’s children.’

“He knew it was too late for him but that he could make a difference to the generations that followed, and I feel that has certainly been the case.”

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Mike Davies is a Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Senior Research Fellow whose work was made possible because of Roy’s legacy.

He said: “So much of the work we have undertaken would never have happened without Roy and the charity.

“This includes the lung cancer biobank where we collected thousands of samples for over 20 years to better understand the disease and speed up diagnosis, as well as the development of a cancer risk score now used in the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme.

“This work would not have been possible without the generosity of those who have donated to the cause, be that money, time or samples, inspired by Roy’s bravery and dedication.”

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The risk model is one of two now used as part of the targeted lung health check programme operated by NHS England.

The charity said it was “arguably the biggest step forward” in improving outcomes for lung cancer.

Available to people aged 55-74 with a smoking history, the programme aims to detect lung cancer at the earliest opportunity, often before people even have any symptoms.

By catching lung cancer earlier, people have more treatment options, including surgery to remove the tumour.

Three quarters of those diagnosed through screening have been caught at stages 1 and 2.

“I don’t think even Roy, as optimistic as he was, could ever have hoped for what we are now seeing through these early screening programmes,” Fiona said.

“The concept was such a pipedream back then, but the charity never gave up the fight.

“They knew the importance of early detection and the lives screening could save. That’s exactly what it’s doing, and I couldn’t be prouder.”