Blame affects research, advocacy for lung cancer
Dr. Michael Thun, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society says that lung cancer is underfunded due to poor public perception. Although 35% of women diagnosed with lung cancer never smoked or lived with smokers, public perception is that people with lung cancer are to blame for their own illness. Since most people develop lung cancer only after decades of smoking, the people suffering today were hooked long before the dangers were common knowledge, when advertisers portrayed smoking as sophisticated and cool, when smoking was allowed inside every public building, and when screen idols lit up in every scene.
Lung cancer has additional causes as well. Radon gas, pollution, and exposure to asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer. Genetic factors may also influence susceptibility, and a significant number of non-smoking women who develop lung cancer are found with estrogen receptors.
For the full story, go to The New York Times.
