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The Guilty Burden of Lung Cancer
Last week's story "Something in the Air" touched a nerve with readers, many of whom shared stories about the shame and blame that ensue when a smoker receives a diagnosis of lung cancer. A selection follows.
I discovered the inequities firsthand when my mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001. She had smoked for several decades but quit nine years before this diagnosis.
After her breast cancer diagnosis, I found lots of information that helped me understand the disease and allowed me to discuss treatment options with her. She received tremendous emotional support from medical personnel, friends and even strangers.
In contrast, I was shocked to discover how little information and support there is for lung cancer patients, despite the fact that it's more prevalent and deadly than breast cancer. The saddest thing, though, was that my mother internalized the diagnosis as if it were something she "deserved." Nobody deserves lung cancer; she certainly did not set out to "catch" it by smoking.
Cynthia Kay Stevens
Washington
Your article described well the guilt and blame associated with lung cancer by patients and the general public. Unfortunately, health policy experts are not immune to this attitude, which helps explain why lung cancer research receives little federal and state funding.
Nor is the medical community itself immune. A study we released last month said 52 percent of interviewed oncologists noted lack of sympathy among medical staff and 32 percent believe doctors are less likely to research alternative treatment options for lung cancer patients. These are chilling statistics.
