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J. Fox



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    G02 - Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC) Session: Deserve Better - Expect Better: Advocating for Better Outcomes for Lung Cancer Patients (ID 15)

    • Event: WCLC 2013
    • Type: Other Sessions
    • Track: Nurses
    • Presentations: 1
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      G02.2 - Outcomes from Public Information Campaigns (ID 440)

      16:36 - 16:52  |  Author(s): J. Fox

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      Abstract

      Abstract
      Lung Cancer Public Information Campaign – Striving to Ensure Earlier Lung Cancer Diagnosis Jesme Fox, Medical Director, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, UK. ________________________________________________________________________ Background Despite recent advances, lung cancer remains a disease characterized by late diagnosis and poor outcomes. Diagnosing more lung cancer patients, at an early stage, when curative treatments are an option, will save lives. In recent years, there has been a focus on lung cancer screening. In countries where lung cancer screening is available, high risk individuals are being directed to these services. In other counties, advocates are calling for further research to evaluate the benefit of screening tools. Raising general public awareness of the signs and symptoms associated with lung cancer is of importance in the pursuit of earlier diagnosis. It is a key function of many advocacy groups working in the lung cancer field. With the variety of associated signs and symptoms, this is a difficult area. Using nationally agreed guidelines, advocacy groups have produced information, such as the GLCC awareness raising leaflets, available for download, in 13 languages [1]. As noted in a 2013 survey, undertaken by Public Health England, [2], 40% of people surveyed were unaware that a persistent cough could be a symptom of lung cancer.. Challenges Much negativity surrounds lung cancer and impacts on effective campaigning. Lung cancer is seen as a ‘depressing story’ and it is often difficult to engage the media. The notion of ‘self infliction’ surrounding this disease, adds to this difficulty. Furthermore, the stigma and blame associated with lung cancer is in itself, a contributing factor to late presentation in this disease [3, 4, 5,]. Stigmatisation has a very negative impact on the disease and on advocacy initiatives. Central to the lung cancer advocacy community is its focus on reducing the stigma associated with this disease. Many diseases are life style related, yet are not impacted in this way. It is important that whilst undertaking awareness campaigns, the messages of ‘no one deserves lung cancer’ and ‘smoker, former smoker or never smoker – anyone can get lung cancer’ are distributed widely. Public awareness raising campaigns in lung cancer Much of the awareness campaigning to date has come from the emerging Lung Cancer Patient Advocacy movement. Sadly, with poor survival, the number of lung cancer advocates and advocacy groups is relatively small, as compared with other common cancers. However, a key focus has been the November, ‘Lung Cancer Awareness Month’ initiative, initially developed in the US, by the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support and Education (now the Lung Cancer Alliance) and adopted by the global community, through the Global Lung Cancer Coalition, in 2001. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms associated with lung cancer, change public perceptions and help to de-stigmatize this disease. An early example of this was the 2002 general public and media campaign, organized in the UK by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Relief [6]. In recent years, the cross country initiative, involving Australia, Egypt and the US, being the ‘Shine a Light on Lung Cancer’ campaign, originally developed by Lung Cancer Alliance [7]. Other campaigns, from across the globe, will be described. In the UK, we have seen a number of general public lung cancer awareness raising initiatives, through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI). We have also seen local campaigns such as the ‘’Doncaster Cough Campaign’’ [8] – in the 11 GP surgeries studied, after its first year (2008), noted, 19% of lung cancers diagnosed in Stage I and II, an increase from 11% in the previous year. We have also seen centrally, government funded campaigns. In England, the Department of Health, in 2012, funded the national ‘Be Clear on Cancer – Lung Cancer’ campaign [9]. This campaign, focusing on ‘’persistent cough’’ and results from the pilot study noted a 22% increase in the number of patients who visited their General Practitioner with relevant symptoms and also noted an increase in Chest CTscans being performed. This campaign has been repeated in the summer of 2013. In Scotland, the ‘Detect Cancer Early’ campaign is developing a national lung cancer component. References GLCC website (lung cancer signs and symptoms awareness leaflets, for download) http://www.lungcancercoalition.org/en/download-our-awareness-leaflet Online omnibus survey for Public Health England, conducted with representative sample of 1045 adults, between 7 and 10 June 2013 by TNS BMRB. http://www.gov.uk/government/news/don’t-ignore-a-persistent-cough-warns-lung-cancer-campaign Corner, J., J. Hopkinson, and L. Roffe, Experience of health changes and reasons for delay in seeking care: A UK study of the months prior to the diagnosis of lung cancer. Social Science and Medicine, 2006. 62: p. 1381-1391. Tod, A.M., J. Craven, and P. Alllmark, Diagnostic delay in lung cancer: a qualitative study Journal of Advanced Nursing 2008. 61(3): p. 336-343. Corner, J., et al., Is late diagnosis of lung cancer inevitable? Interview study of patients recollections of symptoms before diagnosis. Thorax, 2005. 60: p. 314-319. Baird J. Raising the Public Profile of Lung Cancer – Report of a National Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign in the UK. Lung Cancer (2003) 42, 119-123. Lung Cancer Alliance – Shine a Light campaign http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/shinealightonlungcancer/ Athey, U.L., Suckling R.J, Tod, A.M, Walters, S.J, Rogers, T.K, Thorax, 2012. May: 67(5); 412-7. Early diagnosis of lung cancer : evaluation of a community based social marketing intervention. Be Clear on Cancer – Lung Cancer campaign http://www.campaigns.dh.gov.uk/category/beclearoncancer/

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