It's the number one cause of cancer death in British Columbia, but relatively few people know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
Burnaby resident Alan Soon, who has been living with the disease for nearly five years, is hoping that will change.
He is part of a small group of lung cancer patients who have come together to help organize the 2023 BC Lung Cancer Patient Summit, set to take place Nov. 23 in Burnaby.
"My only symptom was a persistent cough, which was initially treated as pneumonia. I didn't have any risk factors for lung cancer, so to find out that I was stage four was a complete shock," said Soon, who was 46 when he was diagnosed.
"Connecting with other lung cancer patients has been an important source of empathy and comfort through all the challenges of lung cancer treatment."
With the support of the BC Cancer Foundation, this year's summit features speakers from BC Cancer, who will cover new developments in lung cancer treatments, as well as a special presentation on air pollution, which scientists believe play a major role in the increasing rates of lung cancer in non-smokers like Soon.
The summit is hosted by Lung Cancer Canada, the national organization for lung cancer education, patient support, research and advocacy since 2002.
"Lung cancer has received scant public attention in Canada, despite the fact that lung cancer is the nation’s number one cancer killer," said Dr. Stephanie Snow, president of Lung Cancer Canada.
"Part of this is the low survival rate, compared to other common cancers, which drastically diminishes the voice of those affected. But part of this is also because of the relationship between lung cancer and smoking, which has unfairly stigmatized lung cancer patients and hampered research and fundraising efforts."
Soon hopes that summit attendees will help further the cause of raising awareness and funds for lung cancer research.
The father of two is well-known for his work with BC Cancer and the BC Cancer Foundation, and encourages other patients to advocate for themselves and others.
"Lung cancer research continues to give advanced stage patients like myself hope for better outcomes," said Soon.
"I've been fortunate to benefit from new treatments but there is still so much to be done. By bringing together patients, researchers and health care providers, the summit helps build not just a community of support, but also the momentum necessary to keep progress on lung cancer moving forward."
The summit is being held on Nov. 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre — located at 6688 Southoaks Cres. — and can be attended in person or online.
For more information and registration, you can visit the Lung Cancer Patient Summit page of Lung Cancer Canada's website.
