Lecia V. Sequist

Doctor, professor

What many people don’t realize is that about 60 percent of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers, many of whom quit several decades ago.

...for every woman that dies of breast cancer, more than $26,000 in federal research funding is devoted to breast cancer research. But for every woman that dies of lung cancer, just over $1,000 federal dollars are invested. The difference is staggering.

For Lung Cancer Sufferers, The Added Burden Of Judgment

Dr. Lecia V. Sequist: "Because one of the strongest risk factors for lung cancer is smoking, our society has come to the conclusion that people diagnosed with lung cancer somehow deserve it, that it was brought on by their own ‘bad’ behavior." Pictured: A healthy set of lungs. (aidan_jones/Flickr)