Guests/Speakers
Jill Feldman – Lung cancer patient and advocate
Steven Petrow – Journalist and book author
Dr. Alice Berger – Lung cancer researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Welcome to a Special Re-Release of the Hope With Answers Podcast. Originally aired in January 2020, this episode takes on one of the most difficult and often overlooked challenges facing lung cancer patients: stigma.
A lung cancer diagnosis is already overwhelming. But for many patients, there’s another, quieter burden: how stigma impacts lung cancer. They’re often asked the same invasive question—“Did you smoke?”—before compassion is even offered.
The way stigma impacts lung cancer patients extends far beyond medical treatment. When someone shares their lung cancer diagnosis, they’re often met with “Did you smoke?” instead of compassion. This harmful lung cancer stigma creates an additional burden for patients already facing a life-threatening illness.
How Lung Cancer Stigma Affects Patient Experiences
In LCFA’s powerful podcast episode “The Things People Say,” lung cancer advocate Jill Feldman reveals how stigma impacts lung cancer patients on a deeply personal level. Having faced this disease multiple times, Feldman shares how the persistent lung cancer stigma shaped her experience and why it must end.
Journalist and author Steven Petrow joins the conversation to unpack why words matter when discussing lung cancer. Together, they explore how lung cancer stigma manifests in everyday conversations and offer guidance on shifting toward empathy.
Breaking Down How Stigma Impacts Lung Cancer Research
The episode also features Dr. Alice Berger from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, whose groundbreaking work focuses on lung cancer in young, non-smoking women. Her research not only aims to improve treatment outcomes but also challenges the prevailing lung cancer stigma that associates the disease exclusively with smoking.
When stigma impacts lung cancer research funding, it creates disparities that affect all patients. Dr. Berger’s work represents the critical research that could help change both medical outcomes and public perception.
Changing the Conversation Around Lung Cancer
Lung cancer stigma affects how patients seek treatment, how they’re treated by healthcare providers, and even how they view themselves. By understanding how stigma impacts lung cancer patients, we can all become better allies.
What to say—and not say—when someone shares their diagnosis:
- Instead of asking about smoking, offer support: “I’m here for you”
- Avoid judgment and assumptions about lifestyle choices
- Recognize that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer
- Listen with empathy rather than seeking explanations
- Join LCFA in combating Lung Cancer Stigma
By highlighting stories from advocates like Jill Feldman and experts like Steven Petrow and Dr. Alice Berger, LCFA continues its mission to reduce how stigma impacts lung cancer care and research. Listen to the full episode to understand the profound ways lung cancer stigma affects patients and how we can all contribute to changing the narrative.
Together, we can create a world where lung cancer patients receive the compassion, support, and research funding they deserve, free from the burden of stigma.
