Why am I participating in November-Lung Cancer Awareness Month?

People with cancer want to make the illness part of their past. However, forgetting is not always attainable. For many patients, cancer lives with them every day as an active disease or in the scars left by treatments. Cancer reminds us when it limits what we can do, and when it appears in our nightmare. Families who have lost loved ones to cancer also can never forget. I am aware of lung cancer every single day of my life. I want to participate in Lung Cancer Awareness Month, not to remind others that I live with a struggle. I am taking part so survivors can live better with the illness. I am also participating in this with the hope that one-day, lung cancer becomes truly a chronic disease.

Meanwhile, people need to be aware of lung cancer because anyone can get it. If you have funny symptoms like a long-lasting cough or unusual shortness of breath, see your doctor. People also need to be aware that lung cancer is not a death sentence. There are tons of treatment options out there. If someone receives a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer, they should get genetic testing. With targeted therapy and immunotherapy, people are living longer even when they have stage 4. Also, speaking as a doctor, we make mistakes in healthcare. That is why the patient and their families need to be vigilant and be their own advocates.

Further, people living with cancer need support and care. Cancer is isolating, and the worst thing a cancer patient can feel is abandonment. But if you come to care for a person with cancer, reflect on your own anxieties and fears; keep those under check. Be kind, and be thoughtful. In other words, do not say dumb things like, “everything happens for a reason,” or, “you should try turmeric, it will cure you,” or  “Have you smoked?” Remember, the last thing someone with an illness need is to be blamed for their illness. They may never see a reason for their suffering. They also may not want your medical advice. 

There are advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment because of science and research. We need more research, and research needs funding. Finally, those who spend their days caring for cancer patients, whether care providers or caregivers who stick around, deserve gratitude, and to them, I say thank you.