Just under one in five adults believe that health insurers shouldn’t cover lung cancer patients who smoke for treatment.
New research conducted by the Marie Keating Foundation has shown that over a quarter of the Irish public believe that non-smokers who get lung cancer should have their treatment prioritised over those who smoke.
The same survey found that almost a fifth (17%) believe that health insurers shouldn’t cover lung cancer patients who smoke for treatment, with the figure for those under 25 rising to almost three in 10 (29%).
Just over a third (34%) of adults agree that lung cancer patients face stigma from the public that other cancer patients don’t face and one in 10 believe this is acceptable.
As a result, the Marie Keating Foundation has launched its ‘I Am Lung Cancer’ campaign, which aims to challenge negative perceptions around the disease and to humanise the disease by showcasing the range of people it affects.
The campaign is being fronted by three ambassadors who have been affected by lung cancer. The campaign will include a radio advertisement, a video, updated website content and a social media campaign promoting the key campaign messages.
You can watch the video, which aims to highlight the range of people affected by lung cancer, below:
Clip via Marie Keating
Commenting on the campaign, Liz Yeates, CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation, said: “More people die from lung cancer every year than any other type of cancer. It kills more women than breast cancer, despite breast cancer cases far outnumbering those of lung cancer and more men die from lung cancer then prostate or testicular cancer.
“Our ‘I Am Lung Cancer’ campaign aims to challenge the stereotypes so closely associated with the disease.
“Many people have an image of who they believe a lung cancer patient is, but this campaign illustrates the variety of people it can affect. We want to change the conversation and tone around lung cancer from one of judgement to one of empathy and support.”
For more information on the campaign, you can visit the official Marie Keating Foundation website here.
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