Some Canadians don’t have much sympathy for those suffering from lung cancer on account of the disease’s association with smoking, a new survey has found.
Because of the smoking connection, lung cancer patients are likely to experience significant stigma—a phenomenon that could impact the care and treatment they receive, according to the research.
One in five Canadians admit feeling less sympathetic toward sufferers of lung cancer due to its known association with smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products, reported the survey, which was conducted in 16 countries by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition.
“This research supports what we have known for a long time—that lung cancer continues to carry the very heavy burden of stigma,” said Dr. James Gowing in a press release. Gowing is the co-chair of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada, a member of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition.
“You simply do not see this type of blame culture with any other disease, or patients and families being abandoned. No one deserves lung cancer, and certainly no one deserves to die from it.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In Canada in 2009, the prevalence of lung cancer at 23,400 was similar to that of breast cancer (22,900). But lung cancer claimed the lives of 20,500 Canadians compared with 5,400 deaths from breast cancer.
Gowing is critical of these lop-sided statistics.
Because of the smoking connection, lung cancer patients are likely to experience significant stigma—a phenomenon that could impact the care and treatment they receive, according to the research.
One in five Canadians admit feeling less sympathetic toward sufferers of lung cancer due to its known association with smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products, reported the survey, which was conducted in 16 countries by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition.
“This research supports what we have known for a long time—that lung cancer continues to carry the very heavy burden of stigma,” said Dr. James Gowing in a press release. Gowing is the co-chair of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada, a member of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition.
“You simply do not see this type of blame culture with any other disease, or patients and families being abandoned. No one deserves lung cancer, and certainly no one deserves to die from it.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In Canada in 2009, the prevalence of lung cancer at 23,400 was similar to that of breast cancer (22,900). But lung cancer claimed the lives of 20,500 Canadians compared with 5,400 deaths from breast cancer.
Gowing is critical of these lop-sided statistics.
