http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24892765


I thought this was an interesting article. My Mum died of lung cancer, and yes she had smoked for 40 plus years. I have to say as different people were told 1st of her disease and then her death-I was a bit stunned by the people who would say "Well, she did smoke!", as though she deserved to die because she smoked. There are people who die of lung cancer who have never smoked, never been exposed to significant amounts of 2nd hand smoke etc (Dana Reeve-Christopher Reeve's widow was 1). Lung cancer is the most deadly of the cancers-yet less is spent on lung cancer research than the other cancers.

Other medical issues have stigmas attached as well-even something as simple as lice. The assumption is you are somehow not a clean person if you have lice. But the truth is lice jump from person to person and it has little to do with cleanliness and alot to do with exposure. Do lung cancer patients deserve to be stimatized? Are there other diseases that are treated the same way?

Aids, of course!

Unfortunately, many religions and cultures link disease to vice. In some cases, it's warranted, e.g., obesity leads to diabetes, back problems, and kidney disease, but the link they draw is too deterministic. That is, if you do it, you're definitely going to get it.

No they don't, and isn't that the usual way people behave. People make judgemental remarks about someone else and their circumstance based on whether they had some decision in the process. The ability to put oneself in another's shoes seems to become more difficult as our society becomes less and less compassionate. Compassion, defined as the ability to relate to oneanother on an emotional level. Obesity is another disease that carries that stigma you speak of. They are finding that as a disease it relates to many more deaths taken as a whole than some of the other main causes of mortality. I don't know if this relates directly to the amount of money spent on research for lung cancer, however I could see how it might be perceived as not a priority compared to others. Funding for research is not so much needed any longer. They know what causes it. The cure is getting society to help itself. I truly believe that has to start as the beginning with more in school education. More legislation against advertising. More regulation against public smoking. More tobacco Company lawsuits. More regulation and requirements to use the lawsuit money for tobacco related projects. More grassroots movement to force government to stop tobacco lobbyists from having access to Congress. More of a government move to convert tobacco companies to another source of profit. I.E. growing corn for fuel perhaps. There is a growing demand and a shortage of grains for other food sources because of it.

Excellent points--Aids of course is the worst-the assumption is always that you somehow live an "immoral" life style if you have it, but there are many who have it from blood transfusions, or a promiscuious partner(even if they themselves are monogamous). Obesity is another-there is an assumption that fat people are that way because they are "too lazy" to do anything about it-there are a variety of causes for obesity, some medical, some emotional all difficult to face and deal with.

Cancer can be the cause of bad genetics, bad environment, or bad luck. I think alot of old people get cancer because of age. Like a photo copy, the two billionth copy of the original may not look like the original anymore.

All too often people make themselves feel superior to someone else by pointing out their “faults” such as smoking, obesity, carelessness or even down to how often they change the sheets on their bed. And it is easy to feel even more superior if that person seems to have died as a result of one of their “faults.” It is surprising how often people make judgments based on actions that they can say “well I don’t do that.” I think this is the case with lung cancer if the person smoked, AIDS (that is an indication in itself that you have done something wrong), complications from diabetes and a assortment of other “faults.” It is sad but a lot of people do make these judgments to puff up their own self esteem.

What I find amazing about the anti smoking lobby is that If you get hit by a car while crossing the road to buy a packet of cigs. then Smoking caused your death.
I have been diagnosis with cancer and I am a smoker the number of people who have said to me well you shouldn't have started smoking. Well while i agree smoking is bad for you smoking wasn't a contributing factor to my cancer. Mine was put down to the comsumation of Red Meat. So Go Figure

And there are alot of other diseases that have social stigmas attached. I sometimes think people's reactions are almost a form of relief because it wasn't them with the diagnosis. I don't know if that makes sense-but they have to blame you because otherwise it is too random-and they could be the one with the illness. I am not sure that thought makes sense?

Or it may be the fear factor ~ kind of like Kateyes indicated.
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Leprosy was another illness like this.

Yes it makes absolute sense and I agree completely. If I do my "thing" what ever it is, this won't happen to me. My mom has excellent genes - and is never sick - but she blames other peoples actions for getting sick and credits her actions for not getting sick.