1800-COUGHS: A Phone Line to Catch Out Cancer

Lung cancer’s high mortality rate can only be improved by early detection and access to early stage treatments. 1800-COUGHS aims to tackle one of lung cancer’s greatest allies - reluctance in those most at risk to seeking professional consultation.

The world’s first cough checker phone-line has been launched to help catch lung cancer out and encourage the public to call their GP if they have concerns. Lung cancer symptoms may hide behind Covid-19 and flu this coughing season, which could lead to further cases of late-stage diagnosis, according to the Marie Keating Foundation. Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer, but only when it’s caught too late. Early detection will improve survival.

The foundation has partnered with creative shop The Brill Building and broadcaster Maia Dunphy to encourage Ireland to join 'The Big Check Up'. The activation calls on us the public to be vigilant when catching up with loved ones, to help spot a cough that needs checked out by a GP.  A social-led campaign aims to reach 25-45 year olds, recruiting them to be vigilant when video calling their parents, grandparents or older friends with over-50s being most at risk of lung cancer.   

Research from the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) identified a reluctance in those most at risk to bother their GP with any old cough. This was a barrier to seeking assistance. To reach this audience, many of whom are elderly and are isolating and isolated, the campaign has created an easy to use phone line, 1800-COUGHS (1800-268447) to give people the confidence to get a worrisome cough checked by a GP.

Launching 'The Big Check Up' campaign, Maia Dunphy, broadcaster and author, said: “One in two of us will experience cancer personally at some stage, which is a difficult thing to imagine, even though it is a reality for so many. My own Mum was diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago and we are very thankful that she is well today. By checking up on each other, and talking about our health, we can get more people to think about the early signs of lung cancer and get a worrying cough checked. Covid-19 has taken so much from us already, don’t let it hide the signs of a lung cancer cough.”

Created for the foundation's marketing lead Jennifer Cimmerman by The Brill Building, led by ECD, Roisin Keown, and creative director, Peter Snodden, 'The Big Check Up' launches with a light and creative film shot by director of photography, Ross O’Callaghan. Featuring Maia Dunphy, it takes a playful look at the conventions of online communication and video calling to get its important public awareness message serious attention. Further social content will feature other well-known and prominent faces with the campaign including radio, print and a full social and online campaign. PR for the campaign is from Serena Leyden and team at FleischmanHilliard.

The Marie Keating Foundation is now a leading voice in cancer awareness and information for both men and women in Ireland. The foundation specialises in early detection and emotional support and its mission is to make cancer ‘less frightening by enlightening’ to achieve a world free from the fear of cancer.

'The Big Check Up', supported by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), MSD and Roche Pharmaceuticals (Ireland) Ltd, aims to encourage the Irish public to check up on their family and friends this coughing season, encouraging them to take notice of ‘that’ cough and get it checked by their GP. The free phone-line, 1800-COUGHS (1800-268447), will allow callers to hear advice from a GP on any suspicious cough they may have and includes advice on Covid-19, flu and lung cancer. Click here to find out more about lung cancer and 'The Big Check Up'.

Roisin Keown, founder and ECD, The Brill Building, said: “We were delighted to be asked by The Marie Keating Foundation to work on this major public awareness message. Studying the research, it was clear that as well as greater awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer, we needed to break down the barriers to seeking assistance. People are much more likely to take action on the encouragement of a loved one than to an advertising message alone, so we designed a campaign to make people our medium to share the message. In creating 1800-COUGHS we’re taking advantage of tech that is already there to create a simple but effective innovation – our older audience are mostly at home, with less interaction than previous years, and we need to make use of everything we can to reach them.”

“Lung cancer needs a good listener as it is extremely sneaky." commented Liz Yeates, CEO, Marie Keating Foundation. "This year it is hiding behind Covid-19 and flu, making it more dangerous than ever to ignore concerns. Our new phone-line will give people the confidence to know it is okay to call their GP and to get ‘that’ cough checked out. The Marie Keating Foundation is here to support everyone at every step of their cancer journey, but we want to prevent cancer too. We know that early detection improves survival. By recognising the warning signs as early as possible, we can catch lung cancer out.”