"Chemotherapy is the only treatment for lung cancer."

"As long as you are not coughing, you don't have lung cancer."

"Chemotherapy is the only treatment for lung cancer." "As long as you are not coughing, you don't have lung cancer."

"Chemotherapy is the only treatment for lung cancer."

"As long as you are not coughing, you don't have lung cancer."

"Chemotherapy is the only treatment for lung cancer." "As long as you are not coughing, you don't have lung cancer."

"A diagnosis of lung cancer is a death sentence."

"If you already have lung cancer, it's too late to quit smoking."

"A diagnosis of lung cancer is a death sentence." "If you already have lung cancer, it's too late to quit smoking."

Myth 1: A diagnosis of lung cancer is a death sentence.

  • A diagnosis of lung cancer is not a death sentence

    If lung cancer is detected early, this significantly increases the chances of survival.

    The outlook for patients with lung cancer is generally poorer than for many other types of cancer. Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

    However, lung cancer is certainly not a death sentence. Thanks to scientific advances, increasing numbers of patients with lung cancer can be cured, and may now live longer and have a better quality of life than before. More and more therapies that slow down the development of lung cancer and diagnostic tests that are better at detecting lung cancer are available today. 

    The chances of surviving lung cancer have increased considerably. In 2012, 15% of men and 22% of women who had been diagnosed with lung cancer were still alive 5 years after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis. In 2022, that number had increased to 26% and 34% respectively.

    Survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage the disease is in when it is diagnosed. Around 80% of patients in whom the cancer was detected at an early stage are still alive after five years. 

    The earlier the disease is detected, the better.

Myth 2: As long as you are not coughing, you don't have lung cancer

  • In the early stages of lung cancer, people usually do not have any visible symptoms.

    At its early stage, lung cancer may be entirely asymptomatic. A diagnosis often comes at an advanced stage of the disease, when symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, hoarseness and shortness of breath manifest themselves.

    That makes lung cancer a silent killer. Early diagnosis is very important to increase a patient's chances of survival, but due to the absence of visible symptoms, few patients go to the doctor at an early stage. Moreover, once symptoms do become clear, many people do not immediately link them to lung cancer but to other causes.

Myth 3: Lung cancer only affects smokers.

  • Lung cancer does not only affect smokers.

    10 to 15 percent of lung cancer patients have never smoked.

    Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer: in our regions, 85 to 90% of all lung cancer diagnoses are linked to active as well as passive smoking. (Even if you're not a smoker yourself, you can still get lung cancer!)

    10 to 15% of lung cancer patients have never been exposed to tobacco smoke. This number has been increasing in recent years. Causes include exposure to air pollution, radon, asbestos and other harmful substances.  

    It is also important to note that smoking also causes many other diseases, including many other types of cancer.

Myth 4: Chemotherapy is the only treatment for lung cancer.

  • Depending on the type of lung cancer, different treatment options are available.

    Various therapies are currently available for lung cancer allowing for an increasingly tailor-made treatment of patients. “Local” treatments include surgical procedures and radiation therapy, while systemic treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

    Depending on the type of lung cancer and its extent, various therapies can be combined. In some cases, other therapies such as endobronchial treatments can be used to reopen the airways.

Myth 5: Lung cancer mostly affects older people.

  • Lung cancer can occur at all ages.

    The diagnosis of lung cancer becomes significantly more common in Belgium from the age of 45, with a clear peak around the ages of 70 to 75. This is based on data from the Belgian Cancer Registry.

Myth 6: Vaping is perfectly safe.

  • Vaping may be less harmful than smoking, but it still poses health risks.

    Many people see vaping as a safe alternative to smoking and as a way to quit smoking.

    A lot of myths need to be dispelled, however.

    As vaping is a relatively recent phenomenon, the long-term effects are unknown. We do know more about the short-term effects (up to 12 months): research shows that smoking is a greater health risk than vaping. Those who vape run greater health risks than non-smokers and those who do not vape. 

    So at first glance, vaping may seem safer than smoking, but it is certainly not a healthy habit.  

    A recent survey from the Flemish organization Kom Op Tegen Kanker among young people shows that vaping is often a stepping stone to smoking and that vaping is often combined with smoking. 

    If you want to get rid of your nicotine addiction, consider using nicotine replacement products from your pharmacy. Ask your GP and pharmacist for more information.

Myth 7: Getting lung cancer is your own fault.

  • Getting lung cancer is not your own fault.

    Lung cancer can be caused by many things, not just your own behavior.

    Some people believe it's your own fault if you get lung cancer. “You have always been a smoker so you knew there was a risk.”

    However, lung cancer is not just the result of smoking. Other factors may play a role: passive smoking, genetic factors, exposure to harmful substances, etc. Previous lung conditions can also increase the risk of lung cancer, as can unhealthy habits other than smoking. There are many factors that can increase the risk of lung cancer.

    Also, smoking cannot simply be dismissed as “someone's deliberate choice”. There is an entire industry trying to get people to smoke and to make sure they keep smoking. 

Myth 8: Only men develop lung cancer.

  • Lung cancer affects both men and women

    There are more men than women who get lung cancer in Belgium, but that certainly does not make lung cancer a predominantly male disease. Each year, just over 9,000 people in Belgium are diagnosed with lung cancer, 60% of them are men, 40% are women. Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in both men and women. This is based on data from the Belgian Cancer Registry.

    These figures also show that the risk of lung cancer has decreased in recent years in men (minus 1.3% per year), while it has increased in women (plus 3.8% per year).

Myth 9: If you already have lung cancer, it's too late to quit smoking.

  • It is never too late to quit smoking, there's always a benefit. 

    There's always a benefit to quitting smoking, even if you have already been diagnosed with lung cancer.  

    Quitting smoking, even with late-stage lung cancer, can reduce complications. For example, quitting smoking one month before an operation will help to reduce the risk of infection. Doing so can also reduce the number of COPD exacerbations, acute coronary heart disease and, in the long term, the risk of a second cancer, reduced lung function and cardiovascular co-morbidities.