Fiona Castle and Cathy Brokenshire campaign for lung cancer screening –

Two women who lost their non-smoking husbands to lung cancer are campaigning for a national screening program, regardless of age or risk.

Fiona Castle, widow of musician and TV presenter Roy Castle, and Cathy Brokenshire, widow of former Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire, spoke with Naga and Charlie on BBC Breakfast.

Cathy’s husband James died of lung cancer last October, while Roy died in 1994.

Neither had ever smoked – and now their spouses have joined forces and pushed for a nationwide screening program through the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, raising awareness of lung cancer and the dangers of secondhand smoking.

Professor David Baldwin, a consulting respiratory doctor, explained that the scan is a fast, painless CT scan that takes 40 seconds. A pilot project has already been initiated, identifying 900 lung cancers, 77% of which are in the early stages.

A comprehensive screening can detect 6,500 lung cancers at an early stage.

Neither smoked, and now their spouses have joined forces and campaigned through the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation to offer everyone a national screening program.

Cathy explains, “We’re launching a #NeedToScreen Twitter campaign today and we’re passionate about getting a national hit.

“James went to fight for it. Unfortunately, he’s not here and I’m glad I got the cloak.

He said it was “pretty odd” when he was diagnosed because James, the Northern Ireland secretary, had police protection.

“It was pretty weird. We went to the hospital, got out of the clinic, and got in the car, and we couldn’t talk as if we were with other people.

‘After that we had to wait and pick up the kids. It had been about five or six hours when we were finally alone to have this conversation and talk about it.

“We were told this was a good prognosis and it was detected early and we were optimistic and you should go ahead and see what happens,” he added.

The movie saw Roy Castle talk about his diagnosis and explain how hard it was to tell his kids.

MPs held a minute’s silence in parliament for James Brokenshire after his death, calling him “the best man in politics”.

Unfortunately, the cancer returned three years later during the pandemic.

Fiona said that shortly before Roy’s death, she toured the country to raise awareness about lung cancer and smoking, called the Tour of Hope.

Roy’s cancer journey was made public as the nation watched him get cured.

He was the first public figure to reveal his cancer story so openly and helped raise thousands of pounds for lung cancer research through his campaigns.

She added that her husband helped change the conversation about cancer: “At the time, nobody knew that lung cancer had anything to do with smoking. They knew it was smoking but it wasn’t passive smoking and the research was only done in America at the time.

“They didn’t think Roy didn’t smoke.”

Fiona and Cathy first met a month ago. Fiona said, ‘We had so much in common that it was beautiful even though our ages were so different.

“I’m old enough to be a mother, but the fact that we both have experience and are passionate about lung cancer awareness and what we can do to make a difference.”

Fiona and Cathy first met a month ago. They discussed loneliness and their experiences of pain and loss

Cathy and Fiona hug each other in a BBC Breakfast movie showing their first date.

They then shared their experiences of grief and loss and remembered their lives with their partners.

Fiona said: “There are so many aspects, right? You’ve had an exciting day or something and you’re going home… but there’s no one to tell.

“There’s a loneliness you didn’t expect before, huh?”

To which Cathy replied, “My family, friends, and neighbors have been amazing, and you really notice that when you’re alone, don’t you?”

When Cathy and Fiona first met, they hugged each other. Cathy told him she really stood out when she was alone, and Fiona agreed.

Professor David Baldwin, a consulting respiratory doctor, explained that the scan is a fast, painless CT scan that takes 40 seconds.

Roy, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in March 1992, said that one of the hardest things at the time was telling his family he had the disease.

Fighting Back: Portion of his interview with Roy Castle was depicted, and he apparently said he acted: “I had to call my son in Norway.

“I couldn’t speak as soon as I picked up the phone. Fiona had to take over.

“Suddenly we realized that what we had as a family that was always so beautiful could end and there was a lot of sadness there,” Fiona said.

He added, “Roy didn’t care at all. He got it. It’s like that and I’m going to fight it to the end and it did.”

James spoke of his diagnosis in parliament: “From everything I’ve seen and experienced, early detection and treatment is at the heart of it.

“So I think there is a need for national population screening for lung cancer.”

Legislators held a minute’s silence in Parliament for James Brokenshire after his death, and he was hailed as “the best man in politics”.

“I’ve had a good life,” Cathy said to her friends. I got what I wanted. I am married to a wonderful woman and have three bright children. I made a difference.

Roy and James died two and a half years after they were diagnosed.

Fiona said, “She died at five in the morning. I tried to call all my relatives and relatives so they wouldn’t find out from the press.

“It was one of those things that happened to me because I knew it would happen very soon.”

Cathy said, “The morning James died. Knowing he was going to break up again, I tried to call my friends and other friends called other friends.

“There were people crying uncontrollably with me on the phone, and I was trying to calm them down and stay strong.”

James had told his friends that he had lived the good life and had gotten what he wanted, including marrying a gorgeous woman pictured on their wedding day and having beautiful children.

Cathy also spoke with Jeff Smith, who said she was diagnosed early thanks to a screening letter from the NHS and the plan has been a success.

Jeff from Salford, a former smoker, got the letter because of the high rate of smoking in his area.

Cathy wants the plan expanded so more people can study it.

She told Jeff: “My husband has never smoked. It wouldn’t even matter what was happening in the current regime and pilot programs.

“We have to start somewhere and start with high-risk people, and like I said, when we have more stories like you, we can prove it works.”

Cathy and Fiona have been with their husbands for 31 years. Fiona says ‘People’, but is she 31?’ but I have had the privilege of having such a beautiful person for a very long time.

And Cathy admitted that she was blessed as well and enriched James’s life for being with James for 31 years.