No-One in the World Deserves Lung Cancer
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For Consumer Press
1 November 2003: Today marks the first day of the third, international, Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is a major global public health problem and is the biggest cancer killer in the world, claiming more lives than breast, prostate or colon cancer combined, yet it is frequently viewed as the 'poor relation', with fewer treatment options and less funding than many other common cancers.
“The theme for this year's awareness month is 'No One in the World Deserves Lung Cancer',” explained Dr Jesme Baird, Director of Patient Care at the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation in the UK, “Late stage diagnosis, poor survival outcomes and few treatment choices make this a particularly devastating and emotional disease for people to deal with. There are many negative perceptions and stigmas surrounding lung cancer, which indirectly impact on government funding, resources and how individuals view their disease. People who have smoked often feel their illness is their own fault. We shouldn't blame people for smoking as we know it is very hard to stop, once addicted. Lung cancer is an insidious and distressing disease for the patient, their family and friends and we want to get the message across to people that no matter who you are, no one in the world deserves lung cancer.”
Physicians warn lung cancer is a 'poor relation' and receives inadequate funding
The stigma around lung cancer pervades all facets of society. According to results from a recent survey carried out at the World Congress on Lung Cancer, lung cancer specialists warned that lung cancer receives less funding than other common cancers - despite being the number one cause of cancer deaths.
More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of doctors taking part in the survey considered that lung cancer currently receives less government funding than other common cancers. A similar number (77 per cent) thought that governments currently allocated more funding to diseases less serious than lung cancer. The survey included more than 200 physicians - from 35 countries from across the world.
Dr Matthew Peters, Australian Lung Foundation, said: “The survey reveals that doctors working in lung cancer consider it is treated as the 'poor relation' in cancer funding across the world. An increase in funding is necessary to ensure that people with lung cancer get the same quality of care as those with other cancers.” He pointed out that lung cancer accounts for more than one million deaths every year across the world, and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in most countries¹.
Need to improve general public perception and understanding of lung cancer
Further findings from the survey revealed the serious impact of the negative attitudes that currently surround lung cancer. Nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of the physicians taking part in the survey considered that fear of receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer caused many people to delay seeing their doctor. The widespread stigma surrounding lung cancer - with the public considering that the disease is self-inflicted by smoking - makes the situation even worse. Two-thirds of the survey respondents considered that removing the stigma would encourage people to seek help earlier.
Furthermore, a separate research study has shown that lung cancer is rarely written about in the media —highlighting that other common cancers, such as breast cancer are written about four times more often than lung cancer². The GLCC warns that the negative perception about lung cancer pervading the media and general public at large results in a poor public understanding about the symptoms of lung cancer —affecting when people go to their doctor for diagnosis— and ultimately impact on government funding and commitment to fighting this devastating disease. Lung cancer —if diagnosed early— is far easier to treat and potentially curable³. Improved public understanding of lung cancer and disease symptoms could lead to early diagnosis and save peoples lives.
“We hope Lung Cancer Awareness Month will challenge some of the negative perceptions around lung cancer and encourage people to learn about the disease and how to prevent it. It is time that lung cancer receives the resources and support that such a prevalent and devastating condition deserves.” concluded Dr Baird.
The Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) — the world's first international coalition of lung cancer patient organisations — established Lung Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness worldwide about lung cancer, to educate people about the symptoms and to challenge the many misconceptions and stigmas that surround the disease.
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