A PAIR of giant inflatable lungs will be in the region later this week.
The equipment is being used as part of a national drive to raise awareness of lung disease, particularly lung cancer.
The Mega Lungs, which measure 12 feet high by 15 feet wide by 10 feet long, are touring the UK as part of a joint project between Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd
It will promote Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November.
They will be at The Castle Dene shopping centre in Peterlee today (Thursday, October 16) between 11am and 4pm.
On Friday, October 24, they will be at the Metrocentre on Tyneside, between 10am and 4pm. At both venues, experienced guides will be on hand to explain all about the lungs and their functions, and to how to look after them for life.
Nationally, about 41,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among men and women in the UK.
Recent figures suggest that the number of deaths is decreasing, yet the proportion of people surviving more than one year remains below 10 per cent.
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