Lung Cancer patients’ rights are the last to be heard
back to index of Press Releases
Lung Cancer patients’ rights are the last to be heard
The Global Lung Cancer Coalition launches the first charter to champion the rights of people with Lung Cancer
Coinciding with this month’s Europe Against Cancer campaign, which this year focuses on the issue of patient rights, the Global Lung Cancer Coalition today launched a new charter championing the rights of lung cancer victims across the world.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in men and women worldwide, yet survival rates following treatment fall far behind other common cancers, including breast and prostate. Delays in diagnosis, treatment and poor investment into lung cancer research has left patients with poor outcomes. Only one in 10 lung cancer victims can expect to live 5 years. The new Global Lung Cancer Coalition charter sets out to improve access to the best care and treatment available, outlining the minimum standards lung cancer patients have the right to expect in the treatment of this devastating disease.
The charter reaffirms the right of every patient to be treated with dignity and respect and to have access to quality health care in terms of access to evidence-based screening, treatment and palliative care. In addition the charter asserts that lung cancer patients have the right to a fair allocation of available funds to lung cancer research and the development of new treatments.
Lung cancer is often stigmatised as a smoker’s disease but the Lung Cancer Coalition believes that no person deserves to suffer from such a devastating illness. The charter states that all lung cancer patients have the right to be free of blame for having the disease and if the victim is a smoker, help should be offered to overcome their addiction.
“Campaigns such as this year’s Europe Against Cancer campaign on ‘patient rights’ are important in raising awareness of what cancer sufferers should expect in terms of treatment and care.“ said Global Lung Cancer Coalition member from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Dr Jesme Baird, “Lung cancer patients can face an uphill struggle in fighting for their rights to good health care, often facing the negative attitudes about lung cancer held by many professional cares, policy-makers and the general public. However, we believe that all patients have the right to the best treatment options and care available and this charter sets out the minimum standards of care lung cancer patients should expect. Although survival rates in lung cancer are very poor today, there is no reason why we should not expect to see similar survival rates to other cancers in years to come, if more money is directed towards research and better treatment.”
The Global Lung Cancer Coalition was set up two years ago to provide an international voice for lung cancer patients worldwide. The main aims of the coalition are to:
- Place lung cancer squarely on the global health agenda
- Lessen the stigma of lung cancer among patients, their families, their health care providers, policy makers, and the general public
- Empower lung cancer patients and their loved ones to take a more active role in their care
- Effect change in relevant legislative and regulatory policies to optimise treatment and care of lung cancer patients
* ends *