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Aged 51-60
Interview LC29  

Interview LC29

Age at Interview: 56
Sex: Female
Age at Diagnosis: 52
Background: Community support worker for those with learning difficulties (retired), married, 2 children.
Brief outline:Diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in 1998, followed by pneumonectomy (left lung removed).


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Comments that others are afraid of lung cancer and assume that it has been caused by smoking.

 



I think they're frightened, I think it's like when you get a death in the family people will cross the road so as not to actually have to bring up the subject and I think it's the same with cancer. 

Do you think it's the same with all cancers or more so with lung cancer?

I think so more so with lung cancer because people think you're dirty because you smoked. But they don't, I don't think they really realise it's not only from smoking it's, there's other things that you know that it's caused by. But also I think that they can't bear to think that they're going to see you suffer. With a lot of cancers you don't actually suffer, with lung cancer your breathing is very bad and you're gasping for breath and I think that is the bit they don't want to know. So if they detach themselves from it then they're not….

What makes you feel this feeling that people think you said you're dirty because you smoked?

Well I think a lot of people think you've caused it yourself by smoking. I know eighty percent of the lung cancer cases are caused by smoking but there are cases that it's not caused by smoking.

Have people actually said that to you or is that just your thoughts?

No, no I did have one person say to me "Well you shouldn't have smoked should you?" But it was fashion in the sixties you, it was fashion, you went along with it and once you're on it you can't get off it (laughs). But no a lot of people, even now when you say "Oh I had lung cancer," they look at you and say "Did you smoke?" you know and it's just really a natural reaction that when you have lung cancer people automatically think you've brought it on yourself and it's a sort of a stigma. 
Karol Sikora - Lung cancer
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