Attempting to cope with smokers' guilt

Lung cancer not only causes patients severe physical strain, but if they are smokers it also comes with its own hard brand of guilt and anger. "We deal concertedly with guilt. We tell the health-care community: `You are not justified in blaming these patients'. They are the victims of tobacco companies," explained Ms Peggy McCarthy, of Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support and Education.

The most obvious guilt comes when a smoker is diagnosed with lung cancer. That anger is not justified, she said, because smokers - who account for 80 per cent of lung cancer cases, and most of whom die within two years of contracting the disease - do not start smoking to cause the disease in themselves. Rather, they were provided with an addictive substance, became addicted and then predisposed to lung cancer. "There is nothing that can be done about that."

Guilt often manifests itself among smokers diagnosed with the disease and then exacerbated by their non-smoking family delivering the line "I told you to stop smoking".

Anger is found in those who gave up smoking but did not realise that everyone who ever smoked is at risk, "contrary to what the tobacco companies would have us believe".

"We get calls from people saying: `I listened to my doctor. I gave up cigarettes 20 years ago. I was told my lungs would return to normal. Now I have lung cancer'."

Alcase is a non-profit organisation which helps people living with lung cancer. Based in Vancouver, Canada, it is extending its programmes to other countries through co-operation with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, which is hosting the Dublin conference.

Its "phone buddy" scheme is a peer-to-peer support scheme. People diagnosed with cancer have contact with someone who has lived through diagnosis and treatment.

The Roy Castle Foundation in Liverpool, which has raised £9 million to counteract the disease, is to establish a patient support, education and advocacy network which within two years will be extended to Ireland. "We all have the same end in mind, to defeat lung cancer," said Ms Fiona Castle, widow of the British TV star Roy Castle, who died from cancer.