title: Perceptions of lung cancer and potential impacts on funding and patient care: a qualitative study.
abstract: The objective of this study was to explore health-care professionals', health administrators', and not-for-profit cancer organization representatives' perceptions of lung cancer-related stigma and nihilism and the perceived impacts on funding and patient care. This is a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews, which was conducted in Ontario, Canada. Seventy-four individuals from medical oncology, radiation oncology, thoracic surgery, respirology, pathology, radiology, primary care, palliative care, nursing, pharmacy, social work, genetics, health administration, and not-for-profit cancer organizations participated in this study. Participants described lung cancer-related stigma and nihilism and its negative impact on patients' psychological health, lung cancer funding, and patient care. The feeling of guilt and shame experienced by lung cancer patients as a result of the stigma associated with the disease was described. In terms of lung cancer funding, stigma was described as a reason lung cancer receives significantly less research funding compared to other cancers. In terms of patient care, lung cancer-related nihilism was credited with negatively impacting physician referral patterns with the belief that lung cancer patients were less likely to receive referrals for medical treatment. Health-care professionals, health administrators, and not-for-profit cancer organization representatives described lung cancer-related stigma and nihilism with far-reaching consequences. Further work is needed to increase education and awareness about lung cancer to reduce the stigma and nihilism associated with the disease.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation in Complex Care, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, kim.tran2@uhn.ca.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Kendra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Delicaet
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Leslie Beard
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010465:Perception; D011379:Prognosis; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057545:Social Stigma