The Stigma of Lung Cancer
Recently, Dana Reeve, wife of actor Christopher Reeve, made the announcement to the media that she has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The one thing that has been quoted in nearly every newspaper story about her illness is the fact that she never smoked. Some even cast doubt on the assertion, adding that investigation through those close to Ms. Reeve confirms that she never smoked.
Many professionals in the medical community refer to the 'stigma' associated with lung cancer. Unlike patients diagnosed with other cancers, they say, their lung cancer patients often come to their appointments alone. Many hide their diagnoses from friends, or define it vaguely as 'cancer'. Carolyn Clary-Macy, a nurse at the UCSF Thoracic Surgery unit, writing an impassioned, open letter to the public claims that the stigma is killing people.
"Lung cancer is not a sexy disease", she writes in her letter. No company seems to want its name associated with lung cancer. There are no marathons to raise awareness, no fundraising drives, no mention of lung cancer except in hushed voices in the back hallways of the hospitals where it is treated. The reason, she feels - and most agree with her - is that many people blame lung cancer victims for their own disease. Because lung cancer is so clearly correlated with smoking, those diagnosed with lung cancer are sometimes seen as 'bad people' who brought their condition on themselves.
In fact, about 5% of those diagnosed with lung cancer have no history of smoking at all. The cause may have been secondhand smoke, it may have been environmental pollutants, it may have been asbestos - or it may be completely undetermined. Lung cancer will kill nearly 160,000 people this year. Another 170,000 people will learn that they have lung cancer. Nearly everyone knows someone who has died from lung cancer. And yet, with this many people dying of lung cancer, we spend less than $1000 per lung cancer death on research. Compare that to AIDS research - $35,000 per death from AIDS that is spent on AIDS research. To make things even bleaker, the funding for research into treatments for lung cancer has dropped under the current administration.
It is well known that the best chance for surviving lung cancer lies in early diagnosis - and the best chance for early diagnosis lies in public awareness. We need methods that will detect lung cancer earlier. We need public service announcements and campaigns reminding people that screening for lung cancer is a vital part of their health care. We need outreach into populations that are being targeted by cigarette ads and that have been targeted by cigarette ads not only to keep them from smoking, but to make them aware that they MUST be checked regularly for symptoms of lung cancer.
It's time to bring lung cancer out from behind the smokescreen of blame and shame and focus public attention on both prevention AND cure options. With adequate funding and more scientists working on cures and treatments, lung cancer can become a thing of the past.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.