Because people still believe this misconception, the bias toward people with lung cancer, whether they smoke or not, leads to several problems in healthcare, including delayed diagnosis and stigma that makes it more difficult for people to seek help.
It also paints a bleak picture for people with lung cancer who smoke, showing that the lack of medical compassion is alive and well, with medical providers thinking a cancer diagnosis could have been avoided.
People also face other barriers when trying to seek care for lung cancer, such as living in geographic areas that do not provide adequate access to testing, diagnostics or care. Financial barriers also exist: 17 percent of total societal costs are borne by patients and their caregivers. There are also issues when it comes to culturally sensitive care, with people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, indigenous peoples and newcomers feeling the burden even further.
When all these factors are taken into account, people with lung cancer often do not have access to what they need when they have lung cancer, and experience diagnosis at a later stage when outcomes worsen.
Toronto resident Winhan Wong noted in a press release that he had to “overcome many challenges” to get the care he needed when he was diagnosed, but he is hopeful that this new action plan will make changes to the system that could help people with lung cancer.
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