I am a never-smoker who was diagnosed with Stage 1 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. It was an incidental finding after a car accident. I have always been health-conscious—I’ve never smoked or vaped, carefully watched my diet, and was even vegan for over a year before my diagnosis. Despite leading a healthy lifestyle, I still developed lung cancer.
The first question most people ask me when I share my diagnosis is, “Did you smoke?” What they’re really asking is, “Did you do this to yourself?” This reflects the unfortunate stigma surrounding lung cancer. I recently read an ignorant comment online where someone claimed that lung cancer is solely caused by personal choices. This mindset perpetuates the stigma and contributes to lung cancer receiving the least amount of funding, even though it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths.
I live on Long Island, New York, more than 1,800 miles from Canada. During the Canadian wildfires, the air quality here deteriorated so severely that the skies turned orange, and we were advised to stay indoors, wear masks, and run air purifiers. It reminded me of the air quality crisis after 9/11, which has put first responders at a heightened risk for lung cancer. If wildfires thousands of miles away can affect our air, imagine the impact of localized events like 9/11.
We all breathe the same air. You cannot distance yourself from lung cancer because its causes are not always linked to personal choices. It could be environmental exposure, hereditary factors, or something else entirely. What I do know is that I did not get lung cancer because of choices I made. I am living proof that even those who lead healthy lives can develop lung cancer. This disease doesn’t discriminate, and it’s time we stop perpetuating harmful stigmas.
