by Katie Brown
Recently one of my support group members sent me a link for a “lung cancer awareness survey”. When I clicked the link, it read,
Do You Know About Lung Cancer?
“Lung cancer is something that anyone who has ever smoked should know about. Take this quiz and find out how much you know or don’t know about lung cancer.”
What about those who have never smoked? Don’t they need to know about lung cancer too?
What makes me, and hundreds of other lung cancer advocates like me so angry, is the blatant omission that people who’ve never smoked are also at risk for developing the deadliest cancer killer too. By not recognizing that fact, they fail to educate and warn the public at large that any one of us can get lung cancer.
What’s worse is that this survey is being promoted by a major cancer organization in Seattle WA.
I worry that whomever is in charge of their website content may not be aware that lung cancer affects non smokers too. Things like the environment, genetics, radon and asbestos exposure as well as many other factors can contribute to a lung cancer diagnosis. That never-smoking women under 40 are dying more today than they are of breast cancer.
Instead of informing the general public that ANY of us can get lung cancer, this survey singles out smokers and announces that anyone who has ever smoked needs to know about lung cancer.
While it’s true that smokers and ex smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, EVERYONE needs to know about lung cancer because anyone can get it.
Dear Cancer Organization in Seattle- you’ve really dropped the ball.
Two thumbs down and a big #FAIL on this one.
