Why ‘therapeutic nihilism’ threatens the Lung Cancer Screening Program
Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke says lung cancer attracts the highest rates of stigma of all cancers.
A sense of pessimism around treatment outcomes and deep-seated stigma risk undermining patient participation in the new Lung Cancer Screening Program, the Lung Foundation Australia CEO has warned.
Launching in July, the screening program will cover people aged 50-70 who have a smoking history of 30 pack-years.
This week, at the Screening Conference 2025 in Sydney, Lung Foundation Australia presented its Lived Experience Survey of patients with lung cancer, which showed high rates of stigma discouraged some patients from seeking care.
“One of the things we noticed was that people who smoke experience stigma and therapeutic nihilism at rates much greater than any other cancer,” foundation CEO Mark Brooke told AusDoc.
