{"id":1204,"date":"2013-10-30T15:21:10","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T21:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theloungeisback.wordpress.com\/?p=1204"},"modified":"2014-01-10T09:33:46","modified_gmt":"2014-01-10T09:33:46","slug":"the-stigma-of-lung-cancer-do-smokers-deserve-lung-cancer-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=1204","title":{"rendered":"The stigma of lung cancer — do smokers “deserve” lung cancer? (No!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"131029143116-lung-cancer-story-top\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A very interesting opinion piece <\/a>that I can personally relate to, about the continuing stigma of lung cancer.<\/p>\n

I have on a number of occasions no matter how incredibly hard I try to bend over backward to not attack smokers or act superior to smokers either online or in real life, been accused of being down on smokers. I think part of this is because many smokers deep down inside put up with constant stigma over their smoking and frankly, get understandably defensive about it, because hey, we all have some bad habits and none of us are perfect.<\/p>\n

Anyway, that stigma also applies to lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most deadly form of cancer; more people die of lung cancer in the U.S. than the next four types of cancer — combined. Smoking is in fact the primary cause of lung cancer — about 85 percent of the people who get lung cancer are either smokers or former smokers.<\/p>\n

But, that also means that 15 percent of those people with lung cancer are nonsmokers (20 percent of women who get lung cancer are nonsmokers). Lung cancer not only has an environmental component, it has a genetic component. There is a reason why only 10 percent of smokers die of lung cancer. It’s bad luck+a bad habit.<\/p>\n

Dr. Lecia V. Sequist, (a medical oncologist at\u00a0 Massachusetts General Hospital<\/a> Cancer Center, an associate professor of medicine Harvard Medical School. and a member of the LUNGevity Foundation Scientific Advisory Board), writes on CNN.com, about the stigma of lung cancer and the mentality of that people who die of lung cancer “did it to themselves.” The stigma has resulted in a lot of grant monies and donations going toward finding cures for cancers other than lung cancer.<\/p>\n

It’s something I can relate to because I have been very guilty of hearing about someone dying of lung cancer, and then immediately blurting out, “were they a smoker?” I really, really try not to do that anymore.<\/p>\n

Dr. Sequist writes:<\/p>\n

Tell a friend or colleague that your aunt just found out she has lung cancer. Almost always the response will be, “Did she smoke?” Then tell someone else that your aunt just found out she has breast cancer, or colon cancer, or any other type of cancer you can think of. This time the response will be pure sympathy, without any blame attached.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don’t think people necessarily do this for a bad reason. I think it’s a normal reaction of “well it couldn’t happen to me … I don’t smoke.”<\/p>\n

This is interesting, according to to Dr. Sequist, (and I have never seen these numbers before and am still digesting them) 60 percent of new lung cancer cases are among nonsmokers and former smokers — not current smokers. Wow, that a high number (remember that 15 percent number I quoted earlier). What that tells me is a lot of people are acknowledging that smoking is really bad for them, quitting, and then 10 years later being diagnosed with lung cancer. That is one of the cruelties of lung cancer. Even if you do the right thing and quit, your risk of lung cancer decreases … but it is still higher than a person who never smoked.<\/p>\n

And as far as how smoking is affecting funding, this paragraph from Dr. Sequist:<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the stigma associated with lung cancer has translated to a massive inequality in research funding. When analyzing the combined 2012 cancer research dollars granted by federal organizations, for every woman who dies of breast cancer, more than $26,000 in federal research funding is devoted to breast cancer research. But for every woman who dies of lung cancer, just over $1,000 federal dollars are invested. The difference is staggering.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, basically breast cancer is receiving 26 times more funding per cancer case than lung cancer among women. Wow.<\/p>\n

As far as the attitude that people who smoke and die and lung cancer getting what they deserve, all I can say is how is your glass house? Are you overweight? Do you drink? Smoke pot? Take prescription drugs? Last perfect person died 2,000 years ago. (Even on this article, there is some snot-nosed troll spending hours pissing on smokers with lung cancer. One of the reasons I don’t comment on CNN stories.)<\/p>\n

I watched my dad slowly drown in his own bodily fluids at the age of 49. I can’t imagine a worse way to go, honestly. No one deserves that. No one. Not Adolph Hitler, not anyone. So, no, no one “deserves” lung cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A very interesting opinion piece that I can personally relate to, about the continuing stigma of lung cancer. I have on a number of occasions no matter how incredibly hard I try to bend over backward to not attack smokers or act superior to smokers either online or in real life, been accused of being … Continue reading The stigma of lung cancer — do smokers “deserve” lung cancer? (No!)<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,35,36,57,58,1],"tags":[585,599,174],"class_list":["post-1204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-lung-association","category-lung-cancer","category-lung-disease","category-smoking-2","category-smoking-among-women","category-uncategorized","tag-cancer","tag-lung-cancer","tag-smoking"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/131029143116-lung-cancer-story-top.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4hpEa-jq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=39","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":0},"title":"Lung cancer doesn’t just kill smokers — The story of Jill Costello","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"December 3, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Chris Ballard had an excellent article in this week's Sports Illustrated. (Normally, I'm not a big fan of Chris Ballard's stuff, some of it I find kind of trite, but this was his best article yet.). Ballard wrote about a young coxswain for the University of California, Jill Costello, who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/theloungeisback.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/12\/jill-costello2.jpeg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2652,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=2652","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":1},"title":"NBC News: The continuing stigma of lung cancer and lack of funding for lung cancer research","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"November 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a really heartbreaking story. There is a stigma surrounding lung cancer like no other cancer which is reflected in the lack of funding for lung cancer research compared to breast cancer and other kinds of cancer. The reason why is pretty obvious: \"Well, people who get lung cancer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":881,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=881","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":2},"title":"The lung cancer and nicotine genes","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"February 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I mentioned the \"lung cancer gene.\" This is interesting stuff to me, and exciting for a potential cure to lung cancer, the No. 1 cancer killer. Several years ago, researchers isolated a gene mutation that appears to mark whether you are at risk for lung cancer. One of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":805,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=805","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":3},"title":"New study: Cancer death rates in America dropping dramatically!","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"January 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Great, great news. According to a new study released by the American Cancer Society, cancer death rates have dropped drastically over the past 20 years -- 23 percent for men, and 15 percent for women. Two big reasons -- better screening and treatment, and a third reason obviously -- a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Cancer Society"","block_context":{"text":"American Cancer Society","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"down_chart","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/down_chart.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":81,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=81","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":4},"title":"Surgeon General new report on smoking … cigarettes are bad, M’kay","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"December 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"OK, what has gotten a lot of press from a truly extensive Surgeon General's report on cigarettes released yesterday is a conclusion that \"there is no safe level of cigarette smoke.\" The media has turned this into \"just one cigarette can kill you.\" Unfortunately, the report does contain a passage\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/smoking-effects.jpg?fit=795%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/smoking-effects.jpg?fit=795%2C521&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/smoking-effects.jpg?fit=795%2C521&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/smoking-effects.jpg?fit=795%2C521&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1352,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=1352","url_meta":{"origin":1204,"position":5},"title":"Good news everyone! Cancer death rate drops 20 percent in 20 years; Lung cancer death rate down 34 percent","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"January 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I wrote about this several months ago. The cancer death rate in the U.S. has dropped dramatically in the past few years, especially for lung cancer. Three reasons: 1) Better treatment 2) Better detection and a big one 3) a drop in the smoking rate According to this study from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"professor farnsworth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/professor-farnsworth.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1503,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204\/revisions\/1503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}