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  P3.24 - Poster Session 3 - Supportive Care (ID 160)

  • Event: WCLC 2013
  • Type: Poster Session
  • Track: Supportive Care
  • Presentations: 1
  • Moderators:
  • Coordinates: 10/30/2013, 09:30 - 16:30, Exhibit Hall, Ground Level

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    P3.24-038 - Perception of lung cancer among the general population and comparison with other cancers. (ID 2692)

    09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): J. Pujol
    • Abstract

    Background
    After decades of very slow progresses, lung cancer management rapidly evolved in the past few years. One could anticipate a possible leap in perception of the disease between patients and physicians.

    Methods
    We conducted a prospective nationwide observational survey of 2200 healthy subjects selected within a representative permanent polling database according to the relevant national and European laws. We collected data in relation to aetiology, epidemiology, diagnostic, therapy and prognostic by using a specific questionnaire as well as perception of lung cancer by using a lexical approach. Among them, 1629 returned the questionnaire and 1469 were eligible for a full analysis.

    Results
    We observed that the population has an average high level of information regarding epidemiological changes of lung cancer (“same incidence” for 40%, “higher incidence” for 47%, “increase in women” for 75%), and main risk factors (tobacco 93%, occupational 81% and environmental exposure 56%). Two thirds (67%) are aware of the danger of passive smoking. Only 22% of the whole population believed to be at risk of lung cancer. Differences were seen according to smoking habits as 62% of current smokers, 21% of former smokers and 6% of never-smokers believed to be at risk (p < 0.05) and according to the age, as 15% of responders above 65 years old thought to be at risk in comparison of 26% of responders below 34 (p < 0.05). The population overestimated the overall survival of lung cancer (32%) and underestimated the potential cure of early stage disease (52%). The participants clearly identified lung cancer as a severe disease (82%) with a worse prognostic than other cancers (colorectal, breast, prostate, p < 0.05). Most of the population was aware of the main treatments of lung cancer (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) but only 45% cited targeted therapy. By using lexical tests we observed that corpus can be split in two main lexical repertoires: a) the major repertoire in which the significant units have encoded lung cancer identified as a tobacco-induced, life-threatening disease, imposing heavy treatment and b) the minor repertoire in which significant units belonged to the representation of lung cancer as an environmental-induced disease. In comparison with breast cancer, lung cancer is characterized by a greater feeling of guilt and a more frequent association with the way of life.

    Conclusion
    We deciphered some aspects of lung cancer perception in the general population and anticipated that it may improve psychological adjustment in patient-doctor communication, fill in the knowledge gap of the perception of the disease and eventually help in lung cancer management.