'Stigma' surrounding lung cancer hinders research resources, say oncologists
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 @ 6:20 PM
SPANISH Medical Oncology Society (SEOM) representatives have warned that lung cancer in western women is reaching 'epidemic proportions', rising by around 4% to 5% annually with 28,000 cases in both sexes diagnosed in Spain every year.
The SEOM along with the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP) and the Lung Cancer in Women Research Association (ICAPEM) have called for more scientific efforts to focus on this type of tumour, given that its research often takes a back seat to that of other variations of cancer.
Experts from all three organisations say some of the problem is the stigma surrounding lung cancer – patients feel guilty and embarrassed when diagnosed and believe society in general will say it is their own fault for being smokers.
Although primary lung cancer can in fact occur in non-smokers or very occasional smokers, it is difficult for researchers and charities to drum up any support, either from governments or donations from the general public, allowing them to investigate the disease and provide a back-up network to patients and their loved ones, since society's attitude overall towards lung-cancer sufferers is that 'they only have themselves to blame'.
Dr Javier de Castro, head of Medical Oncology at Madrid's La Paz University Hospital and chairman of ICAPEM, highlighted this problem at a recent conference.
He also says that the anti-smoking laws and campaigns brought into effect in the 21st century have helped halt the epidemic in lung cancer in men, but not in women.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com